Is Anyone Actually Using Ipv6?

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Brian Rhodes
Apr 18, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Due to a theoretical shortage of 4.3 billion unique public IP addresses in the familiar four-octet format (ie: 192.168.0.100), IPv6 uses hexadecimal to draw from a pool that is 3.4 X 10^38, or 340 followed by thirty six zeroes unique addresses. For context, this is 56 octillion addresses for each person on the planet.

However, due to things like classful network design and the typical segregation of public & private LANs to just a few crossover points, the finite limitation of IPv4 is rarely mentioned. If you're buying network gear, there is always a big emphasis on 'future proofing' your designs with IPv6 equipment, but I've never seen it actually used.

Do you use IPv6 addresses? Please vote:

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Brian Rhodes
Apr 18, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Also, if anyone can suggest an advantage for IPV6 beyond just unique identifiers and how it might benefit security system network design, that input is appreciated!

JH
Jim Hall
Apr 19, 2014

... advantage for IPV6 beyond just unique identifiers...

Beggin' pardon, but isn't that kinda asking how a car benefits from gasoline besides power? I thought that we wouldn't even have created it if it weren't for some knucklehead at DARPA not forseeing the internet toaster and leaving out an octect or two?

On the other hand I can report that gasoline can remove mashed bubble gum from a cloth back seat...

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Marty Major
Apr 18, 2014
Teledyne FLIR

I ask this same question to integrators in my classes all the time.... and outside of one dude who said he does work for govt entities around D.C., not one person has ever said they've used IPv6.

...and there is at least the posibility that the one dude was lying about it just to impress the other students in the class. :)

SP
Sean Patton
Apr 18, 2014
IPv6 has IPSEC features natively built into the standard...
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James Talmage
Apr 19, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Getting rid of port forwarding seems like the most direct benefit. ISP's will hand out entire subnets to each customer instead of just one / handful of IP's. This eliminates some of the security NAT provides but firewalls will default to restricting inbound traffic anyway. NAT was not intended for security anyways, just a happy side effect.

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