Slashdot Mirror
6Bone IPv6 Network Shutting Down Tomorrow
theberf writes "On June 6, 2006 the experimental IPv6 network, the 6bone, will be
shut down. All 3FFE:: addresses will revert to the IANA and should no
longer be used. All IPv6 traffic should now be using production IPv6
addresses delegated by Regional Internet Registries.
The 6Bone has been in operation for 10
years." Here's some more information about "IPv6 day."
6bone shutting down on 6-6-6?
Hmmm...
When will they start up 7bone with its 1024 bit addressing? IPv6 is just so... limiting.
Looks like they decided to get going with their shutdown ahead of time.
From the website:
In March 2003, the IETF decided that was the right time to start the phase-out of the IPv6 experimental network (6Bone), which started in 1996. This included a phase-out plan that defined that on 6 of June of 2006, no 6Bone prefixes will be used on the Internet in any form.
Moreover, the IETF IPv6 working group has started the process to advance the core IPv6 specifications to the last step in the IETF standardisation Process (e.g., Standard). IETF protocols are elevated to the Internet Standard level when significant implementation and successful operational experience has been obtained. Vendors with IPv6 products are encouraged to participate in this process by identifying their IPv6-enabled products at the IPv6-to-Standard site.
This event want to acknowledge the efforts of all the 6Bone participants, the IETF community which developed IPv6, other organizations engaged in the IPv6 promotion, and operators and end-users that have been early adopters. All them have been key contributors for the success of IPv6. Service Providers and other organisations that provide on-line IPv6 services are encouraged to register those services in the IPv6 Day website.
On June 6, 2006, end-users will be able to connect to the above web site to learn about issues like how to turn-on IPv6 in their operating systems, how to obtain IPv6 connectivity and how to try some of the available services.
With the occasion of this virtual celebration, we have a couple of quotes from two key people on this subject:
* Bob Fink (6Bone Project): "After more than ten years of planning, development and experience with IPv6, with efforts from all around the world, it is gratifying for me to see the 6Bone phase-out on the 6th of June 2006, having served it's purpose to stimulate IPv6 deployment and experience, leaving IPv6 a healthy ongoing component of the future of the Internet!"
* Brian Carpenter (IBM, co-author of multiple IPv6 RFCs and IETF chair): "It's very encouraging to see IPv6 moving forward both technically and commercially, with its address assignments now routinely managed by the same registries that look after the rapidly diminishing IPv4 address pool. I look forward to the day the Internet reaches ten billion active nodes with public addresses, which will only be possible with IPv6."
I feel that while we don't need IPv6 yet, waiting until we do need it would be foolish. Think of this in the same terms as the Y2K issue, which never became an issue because people took proactive action.
Some useful IPv6 related links:
- http://www.simphalempin.com/dev/miredo/
- http://evanjones.ca/macosx-ipv6.html
- http://www.bieringer.de/linux/IPv6/
- http://www.hexago.com/
- https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/590/ - displays ipv6 address in firefox, if it has one
- http://www.ipv6.org/impl/windows.html
All that is really needed is for the pockets of IPv6 networks to join up, rather than staying as pockets. Maybe an IPv6 based P2P or something of the sorts might help provide some sort of momentum.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
It should go faster; at least the DoD is mandating adoption of IPv6 by Service Agencies. This will prove to be an "incentive" for those ISPs that contract to the DoD, which is probably every U.S. Tier One ISP. As for pure IPv6, that may never happen completely.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
You'll still be able to use NAT if you want. The difference is you won't have to use NAT, and entire cities which are currently using NAT (Milan for one IIRC) can start to use public IPs again.
// MD_Update(&m,buf,j);