Internet Protocol Version 6

According to one of the Internet inventors and long time commentator, Vinton Cerf, the Internet is in danger of becoming "frozen in time". With 360 million people roaming through cyberspace, a shortage of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses could leave millions of Internet users "Netless".

Just as we require a postal address to be able to receive letters, information, bills etc, an IP address is required to allow information to be passed to or from a computer. IP is the Internet Protocol that defines how information is transported across the Net. This IP address is a unique string of numbers and is usually shown in groups separated by periods or dots, such as: 123.123.23.2

The current Internet design is based on a 20-year-old technology, and if we say a year in technology is like a dog year, that’s a long time. Basically, it's well overdue for an overhaul.

The next generation of the Internet Protocol, version 6 (IPv6) has been criticised by some, as a "dog and pony show" designed to sell equipment, i.e. to make ISPs replace their equipment. Be that as it may, it is hoped that the adoption of IPv6, also known as Internet Protocol next generation (IPng), will head off the impending shortage disaster and pickup where our current version, IPv4, leaves off.

Why don’t we just add more addresses to our current system?

The problem lies in the limitations of IPv4 or the current TCP/IP. Since an address is made up of only 32 zeros and ones under IPv4, the maximum possible numerical combinations of addresses is limited to 4.2 billion.

However, the actual number of usable addresses is higher since many are often temporarily drawn from a pool of available IP addresses, rather than being permanent assigned numbers and returned to the pool when no longer needed.

If we are so short on addresses how does the Internet work at all?

Typically, when someone attempts to log onto the Internet, computers at the ISP end will assign an unused address from a pool of IP addresses, which is used only for the duration of that connection or session. These addresses can be re-used over and over again by different computers or devices once the address has been released back into the pool. This method of dynamically assigned addresses extends the usable pool and the Internet itself.

This scheme has worked well in a world that has been until now dominated by temporary dial-up connections to the Internet. But now the real problem comes with so-called always on devices. Such devices as ADSL and cable modems access require a permanent address. The rapid increase of these devices has placed a premium on permanent addresses. The pool of 4.2 billion possible addresses now seems altogether inadequate.

You don't need a unique address if you are accessing a server in a Web environment. But when you go to "always on" device environments, cellular phones, or you want to do Internet Telephony (VoIP), then everything becomes a server and you need a lot more addresses.

IPv6 is designed to resolve this performance issue along with other problems by increasing the possible number of numeric addresses. This won't be a small increase. It will multiply potential Internet addresses by a factor of 80 octillion or 80,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. With IPv6, the number of available addresses will jump to 340 trillion trillion trillion.

Since IPv6 expands each Internet address from 32 digits to 128, the upgrade to the new language will provide enough space for the expected explosion in Internet devices.

What are these new Internet Devices?

New Internet Access devices, all needing a permanent IP address, will come in all shapes and sizes, we are going to see smart refrigerators that automatically order food when supplies run low and home alarm systems that are linked to the local security network, all over the Internet.

New cars are expected to consume dozens of addresses in order to communicate with dealers and garages, send and retrieve email, and download music. Even your dog will probably need an IP address so they can be tracked and found, if lost, forget micro chipping.

Such an accelerated need for numbers illustrates just how dependent we are on something as commonplace as an IP address, because without sufficient IP addresses, none of the above will be able to function.

The problem of limited addresses is not yet acute in the U.S. In Europe and particularly in Asia, you find that the address space is very small compared to their requirements. In some of these areas, the situation is critical.

So all we really need is a stack more addresses?

More addresses are really only part of the story. Adopting IPv6 standards will also produce more reliable Web performance and a higher overall quality of service. Although IPv6 won't solve all Internet-related issues, it will go a long way to clear up many of the traffic problems ready to paralyse the global backbone that carries the huge amounts of traffic around the world

Another major benefit involves better security. Currently, IPv4 servers aren't normally considered capable of authenticating information from a host and determining if the information has been received from an acceptable source. Firewalls have provided some solutions to this problem, but this security tactic comes at a fairly hefty cost. Also, firewalls can result in hefty decrease in network performance and force restrictive policies on communication systems and their users.

The difference is that in IPv6, security is mandatory, so everyone has to implement it in a fashion that guarantees it's there when needed."

How soon will this change over occur?

The move to IPv6 will be a gradual one. There is no one date when everything has to swap over from IPv4 to IPv6. Probably the new protocol will make initial gains in regional networks enterprise network systems. Most likely it will be several more years before IPv4-based systems switch over.

Who is leading the change over at the moment?

In Japan and Korea, IPv6 is government policy. That means their governments endorse the technology and made it a priority. Naturally government policies don't always dictate market synergies, but they recognise the future, and are willing to make it occur faster.

Yet, as the Internet industry pushes for the conversion to IPv6, they find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

ISP owners understand the need to implement the new protocol but they also know that adopting IPv6 comes with a substantial price tag. For an ISP it will mean buying new equipment and software, hard to pass on in a very competitive market

Arthur Hissey
Computer Research & Technology
www.crt.net.au