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June 6th: World IPv6 Launch Day
Tuesday 05 June 2012 21:10:08 by Sebastien Lahtinen

Wednesday marks World IPv6 Launch Day, when many major websites such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft turn on IPv6 on their homepages. On 6th June 2011, we saw a 24-hour trial of IPv6 on the main website addresses of these sites to test for any problems, but this year IPv6 will stay enabled for good.

IPv6 is an Internet Protocol which succeeds IPv4 which currently powers much of the Internet. These protocols are critical as they relate to addressing devices connected to the Internet. We are fast running out of IPv4 addresses, so to get new users and devices online, more addresses are required, and IPv6 deals with this problem.

Of course, many of the more technical users may already be using IPv6 and many websites (thinkbroadband included) have been operating IPv6 on the main website for quite some time. However this event marks a mainstream change as some of the largest websites on the Internet turn on IPv6 for good.

You can test if you can access the IPv6 Internet and if you can, compare your IPv4 versus IPv6 broadband speed.

Users shouldn't need to be concerned about whether they are connecting to a website over IPv4 or IPv6 and many will go through this transition without even realising it. Many broadband routers will require upgrading or software updates to support IPv6 so it may be some time until the entire Internet is IPv6 enabled, but users will continue to be able to access websites and most other content on the Internet via IPv4 for many years to come.

[ Topic: Broadband | 12 comments | link to this item ]

Comments

Posted by James1o1o 12 months ago
World IPv6 Launch Day and 99% of the UK will not be even close to getting IPv6.

Posted by GMAN99 12 months ago
Do 99% of the UK need IPv6? It only affects those ISP's that don't have stock of IPv4 addresses. And even those that have run out have other options.

It was a fuss over nothing 10yrs ago and not much has changed.

Posted by xela 12 months ago
@GMAN99 - The headline today is that the transition to IPv6 *is* happening. No one's panicking, no one's fussing. But, in the not too distant future, IPv4 *will* be replaced by IPv6 and it's a foolish ISP that sticks their head in the sand. For non-technical end users, the transition is likely to be pretty much seamless - no one disputes that.

Posted by GMAN99 12 months ago
But how do you define "replaced" it you mean replaced as in not one single v4 address is in use it will be years maybe even 10+yrs before that happens.

Yes big sites are starting to make the jump but it is going to be very gradual, even when the big ISP's in this country move to v6 it will be many years after that before most people replace their routers to be able to use v6 so they can turn off v4 support

Posted by AndrueC 12 months ago
@James1o1o:The good news is that 99% of the UK doesn't need IPv6 either. It isn't like the analogue to digital TV switch over. IPv4 will be here and functional for at least the next decade. Probably for many decades yet.

I do agree that we need IPv6 but it's still mainly a problem for the future. It's good that it's being pushed but we are not all about to be cut off from the web.

Posted by zyborg47 12 months ago
Most routers, either VDSL or ADSl don't support v6 anyway, sure some may be able to be updated, but many will not.

I just got myself a xDSl router and I was shocked to see it supported IPv6, but it don't say so in the specs, I found out just by searching the web.

Posted by Northwind 12 months ago
Clever "newspeak" by the Big Web Companies when they are the ones that have been making excuses for several years for not moving to IPv6.

Now that they're finally catching-up with responsible site operators by providing "open v6 access" they claim to be saving the Internet!

As a reminder, A&A have been providing IPv6 connectivity for something like 11 years. I've had native v6 connectivity for four years. It is not difficult.

Posted by GMAN99 12 months ago
Northwind, its not a clear cut as that I'm afraid. Some of the bigger ISP's rely on features that are available with v4 that are not available in v6 yet, or haven't been until recently. I'm talking about Core Cisco switches/routers.

Some of the IOS features that are in use were not available for v6 until recently, some still aren't available.

No-one is losing out by not being on v6, yet.

Posted by comnut 12 months ago
zyborg47:

you forget that *most* routers these days are basically small computers, easily reprogrammed by the ISP, or you, by a download recommended by them..

and even the simple ones will have the ISP send you a new one, if you have connection problems!!

Posted by comnut 12 months ago
as for 'lacking features' it will be just the same as when 5Meg Internet first came in...
It was great to boast about it, but most sites were still stuck with their old 1Meg modems... :(

Posted by zyborg47 12 months ago
Comnut

you also forgot that some people still have older ADSL routers that will never be updated even if they can be. Myself I use a Netgear DG 834GT, because the modem part is better than most modern routers, ok it is now used as a modem only.
i also got a speedtouch 585, again no new firmware and I know many people who still got older routers.

Posted by comnut 11 months ago
zyborg47: then you are just lazy or ignorant, but you found this forum, so not innocent like most older people - who are actually have much more common sense, and get their ISP to make sure all parts of their service are working - even Talk Talk will supply you with a free modem up to the latest standards..

this guy managed to upgrade the firmware on his DG834G.. and 7 months later got the info on how to use IPv6..

http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=62467