go6.net is a new IPv6 portal (0)
Quick reminder:
IPv4 is the current network layer protocol currently used for the Internet. IP adresses are stored on a 32 bits packet, with an adress like 127.0.01, and are used to transport traffic back and forth on the Internet. Now, the industry was alarmed regularly that the Internet was running out of avalaible IP addresses. This started as far as the early 90’s and saw the birth of IPv6, a new protocol with 128 bits packets, thus supporting 2128 addresses, a staggering increase from the only 4.3 billions addresses avalaible for IPv4.
Back to Montreal Tech Watch news:
Hexago, a Montreal company, has launched last week go6.net, a portal dedicated to IPv6. It is presented as a community and knowledge center. They have published a reference wiki, an open discussion forum, and many other ressources to support and push adoption of IPv6.
For those who don’t know, Hexago is the only company in the world to make IPv6 gateways, which allows IPv4 traffic access IPv6 networks by tunneling. It manages of course reverse tunneling. Because of governement regulations, they have had customers in the defense industry, universities, ISPs and other R&D centers. Hexago is also a member of the IETF IPv6 working groups. This means implementation of IPv6 is impossible without Hexago.
However, I know that ISPs and other telecom operators are using CIDR and NAT to prevent implementing IPv6 boxes and specific hardware. In other words, they re-use and re-assign IP adresses to their customers in order to prevent adress exhaustion. One major argument in favor of IPv6 was that if everyone has a mobile phone and a couple of other internet connected devices, we would run out of addresses in 2009. But mobile phone operators do not give a fixed IP adress to their customers. And ISPs neither.
Is there a future for IPv6 outside of R&D centers? For me, engineers will always find new ways to better use IPv4. Just look at what’s possible with standard copper cables, we have gone from 28kpbs to ADSL 6mbps connections, with new algorithms and frequency filters. And I feel bad for Hexago for saying so, because they are a local company that is really innovative, and a leader, in their own way.
