FAQ's

What is IPv6?

An Internet Protocol (IP for short) is the method by which all web connected devices address each other, much like a physical address works for conventional mail. IPv6 is simply the latest addressing scheme that will replace the current IPv4 protocol over time.

Why is there a need for IPv6?

Simply because IPv4 addresses are running out, so there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it, but there is a requirement to come up with a new format that allows for substantially more addresses

Will IPv6 ever run out?

The IPv4 address range has a maximum of 4,294,967,296 IP addresses (about 4.2 Billion), which with 6.5 Billion people on the planet and more and more devices connecting to the Internet, you can see why we are running out. Fortunately IPv6 address range has 3.4x10exp38 unique addresses - that's 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,770,000,000 addresses, or 50,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 per person on the planet.

Can IPv4 and IPv6 co-exist?

Yes, they are designed to as the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 will take many years, during which time both protocols will be used.

As a consumer do I need to do anything about it now?

Not at this stage, TelstraClear will be contacting customers in advance of any migration to IPv6 and will continue to issue IPv4 addresses into 2013. We will provide all relevant information to those users who are only issued IPv6 addresses at the time. Most new PC’s and Mac’s are IPv6 ready and there are plenty of Microsoft, Apple and Linux resources on web, for a list of links to these see the further information section. The only thing you should be aware of is that most home user set-ups have a modem, firewall, router or switch (often one integrated device) sitting between your computer and your Internet connection and those devices also needs to support IPv6 when the time comes. Most of the devices currently installed out there in homes are not IPv6 capable, while the newer ones are, so be sure ask the next time you purchase a wireless router or other home networking device. Finally, this change is all about network connectivity and addressing so it should not affect applications, but many older applications and certain Internet subscriptions services depend on your IP addressing set-up, so before moving into the IPv6 world it will be worth checking and testing things out because IPv6 support and adoption is currently limited. As a small business do I need to do anything about it now?

As a small business do I need to do anything about it now?

The same advice given to consumers applies, basically wait for your Telecommunications provider to take you through the process. Make sure that any new network or Internet device you purchase are both IPv4 and IPv6 capable. As the migration to IPv6 is likely to vary from country to country those business that are export oriented or use international Internet services should keep abreast of developments outside New Zealand. As a larger organization what do I need to do?

As a larger organization what do I need to do?

For the larger organizations, with significant investment in network infrastructure, the transition to IPv6 is likely to be a relatively long, expensive and complicated affair. In the future hardware, software and applications migrations may be required to fully transition to IPv6. Also as per the security section below, there are currently a number of reasons larger organizations do not want to have every one of their network connected devices Internet addressable. With proxies, firewalls and other consolidated gateway devices sitting in the way a wholesale migration to IPv6 is not a course of action most organizations around the globe are currently pursuing.

A pragmatic approach of making sure any new project or system enhancement considers the implications of IPv6, as well as initiating a program to identifying priorities, legacy systems and immediate requirements seems to be the norm. For immediate IPv6 requirements there are a number of effective workarounds such as tunnelling. Also using a service provider like TelstraClear, who can plug into DMZGlobal cloud services and present your current IPv4 content as fully compliant IPv6 data (DMZScreen) and also enabling full IPv6 browsing (DMZInternet) without having invest in changing your current Internet infrastructure.

For those organizations that deliver or use web services outside New Zealand, the state of IPv6 adoption in the host countries needs to be factored into your plans. This is because the first users and internet resources that are restricted to IPv6 exclusively are likely to emerge in countries where the growth in IP address requirements is likely to exhaust the IPv4 quicker than New Zealand or they don’t have a significant legacy investment in IPv4.

Is IPv6 likely to introduce new security vulnerabilities?

Traditionally, Network Address Translation (NAT) has been used to forward incoming traffic to specific IPv4 addresses and this has, to some extent, reduced the number of devices in a local area network being accessible directly from outside. By using IPv6 allocated addresses, which are theoretically all routable through the Internet, it introduces a potential security threat. This means the importance of correctly setting up and actively managing the Firewall and other Internet gateway devices, such as proxies, will increase significantly. It is also worth noting that IPv6 tunnelling allows for a path through IPv4 firewalls, so easing the migration risk factors significantly.

Is IPv6 faster or slower than IPv4?

Theoretically, IPv6 is neither faster nor slower than IPv4, that is usually down to network bandwidth, speed and distance factors. However, the use of bridging and tunnelling techniques between IPv4 and IPv6 networks tends to add an overhead.

Furthermore, peering agreements among ISPs and transit providers are still optimized for IPv4 and not IPv6. This may result in slower perceived response for IPv6, but this will swap around as IPv6 becomes more widely deployed.

Can I do things with IPv6 that I can't do with IPv4?

There is a list of cool IPv6 only stuff at http://www.sixxs.net/misc/coolstuff/ but no compelling reason for to moving to IPv6 now, again the reason it is being adopted is simply because IPv4 is running out of address. In time as IPv6 adoption increases it is predicted that applications will be developed to leverage the unique ability IPv6 has to address every device. In particular, consumer electronics manufacturers are preparing themselves for this revolution by developing standards where your TV, Mp3, storage drive, computer, and virtually any other electronic device will be able to talk to each other.

Is IPv4 going to be shut down?

As IPv4 is a convention for addressing Internet devices, there is no one system to be shutdown, it’s simply a case of something that will fade from use over time. Just when is down to the take-up and adoption of IPv6, something that will be driven by market forces and technical requirements. It is also likely to be different between countries based on the existing levels of IPv4 content and investment, when the IPv4 pool is exhausted.