Evolution of the Internet Part III: Are You Ready for IPv6?

Talk of IPV6 is back again. For several years now, we have heard that IPv4 addresses will run out. Each time this has happened before, something innovative has been done to stave this off for a few more years.

Why is this time different?

1. The number of IPv4 addresses and address blocks available continues to go down. I know this has been said before but this time we are running out of options to extend the life of IPv4. New IPv4 addresses are running out now and will be gone late in 2011 or early 2012.
2. Some ISPs have routers and infrastructure that may not be able to easily support a transition to IPv6.
3. Many enterprises do not have plans for this transition and will be stuck when this happens.

It is always tough to justify spending money on issues like this. To help businesses understand what can happen, Cisco produced a video that is posted on YouTube. While somewhat simplified in its approach, it does show some examples of what can happen:

When IPv4 addresses run out, things do not come to a screeching halt, but they do change. If you are not ready, here are some examples of what might happen to your business in late 2011:

1. If you want to add a new server to your Web-facing server pod, you will not be able to do that.
2. When you request a public IPv4 address from your ISP or carrier, they will begin to assign you IPv6 addresses instead.
3. If you request IPv4 addresses for back office applications, you would not be able to get them and would need to use NAT or some other way to extend the addresses you already have.
4. If your ISP does not have an IPv6 network, you cannot get to websites that are on IPV6 networks. Many sites will still have both IPv4 and IPv6 for some time. But when will this end? Also, if your site gets accessed thru a gateway, you might see some performance issues with this new hop in the path.
5. Right now you get IPv4 addresses for a nominal fee from the registries with a justified application. As with many scare goods, as these addresses run out, there may be a market for IPv4 addresses. So going forward you may need to pay a higher price for these.
6. There will be a time when a new hot item is going to be developed and will be IPv6 only (next Facebook, next version of online banking, etc.) and those without IPv6 are going to be left behind. Dual stack is only to get us through the transition.

Note that this transition will affect a large number of businesses – all the way from the carriers and ISPs to enterprises (manufacturing, financial, retail) to media and content providers. Why is this? Much business is conducted today on the Internet. We all use IP addresses as identifiers to talk to each other. If IPv4 addresses dry up, you will not be able to add sites or web facing computers. So, it is best to be prepared. As the transition starts, you will be in a world that includes some computers with IPv4 addresses and some with IPv6. So have a plan for living in an IPv4/IPv6 world. This normally involves running dual stacks for some period of time.

Per Richard Jimmerson, chief information officer of ARIN, "It is important to begin your adoption of IPv6 now. A measured and early approach is much better than a last minute rush. There is no question about it, the future of the Internet is with IPv6." 

So what do you do now?

1. Join groups like Nanog, where you can learn more about this area.
2. Do some testing to better understand IPv6 and how this effects your environment.
3. Make sure your routers, firewalls, etc., can support IPv6.
4. Put a plan in place for a dual IPv6/IPv4 world.
5. Talk to your ISP to see if they are ready and what they recommend you do to prepare.

Change is always difficult. However, being prepared will help your company deal with the change when it happens.

Rose Klimovich is a consultant and writer on technology. Formerly she was VP Product Management and Product Marketing for the colocation and interconnection products for Telx, where she led the efforts in creating the Telx strategy and developing and investing in new products and services in areas like colocation, cloud, Ethernet Exchange and Telepresence video.