[arin-ppml] Use of "reserved" address space.

[Stephen Sprunk]

On 25 Jun 2010 15:29, Leo Bicknell wrote:
> In a message written on Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 02:32:29PM -0500, Benson Schliesser wrote:
>   
>> I think the impact on end hosts would be painful.  Just because my
>> Linux laptop doesn't mind (thanks to a kernel hack), it doesn't mean
>> the world's web servers etc. are ok...  Getting universal support for
>> unicast use of Reserved space is roughly on-scale with the challenges
>> of deploying IPv6.
>>     
> I actually think you have that backwards.
>
> Most Microsoft and Apple products can be fixed via a software update
> mechanism already widely deployed.  This would be just another minor
> patch to most folks going out in the regular cycle.
>
> I think upgrading all of the routers, including both backbone and
> more importantly home gateways is the larger challenge, they don't
> have that facility.
>   

I'm not as worried about networking gear (which is, for the most part,
run by reasonably competent professionals) as I am end systems.  It took
over ten years for Microsoft to ship an OS that fully supported IPv6,
and there are still lots of folks out there running WinXP, not to
mention Win95/98/Me/2k.  Plus, there are all the assorted embedded
devices (e.g. printers, toasters, phones, etc.) for which the
manufacturers have no future software updates planned--if they're still
in business.  If it were even possible to get everything upgraded, it
certainly wouldn't be done soon enough to matter.  Maybe if we had
started on this ten years ago it would make sense, but now it's far too
late.  IMHO, it's better to push manufacturers and network providers to
IPv6 rather than distract them with yet another hack that will only keep
IPv4 rolling along for another year or so.

S

-- 
Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking


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