Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : IPv6 is Moving to 128bits -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: 10K a day who wrote (1)	11/18/2000 1:48:44 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 12

i, I've taken the liberty to answer your pm here. How do I think that IPv6 will affect Last Mile technologies, society in general? Assuming that it is broadly deployed sometime in the foreseeable future, I think that it will enhance the Instant Messaging and personal phone/mail functions by allowing every end point to have its own unique identifier (address). This, as opposed to the present methods being employed that use translational techniques. Such as DHCP and NAT, and gateway spoofs when such remedies are difficult to implement. Here, too, we now have ENUM, an IETF initiative that serves as a means of translating all email addresses (which are already at least one translation away from an IP address or account identifier in some SP's database) to telephone numbers and vice versa, that must be taken into consideration in these regards as we move forward. The reasons for IPv6's deployment are still argued, sometimes vehemently (to put it mildly) among Internet gurus, because ostensibly, at least, there are still sufficient addresses to go around and the obstacles to implementing v6 are viewed as extremely high by its antagonists. The pro's say that it can be run in parallel with v4, which the new protocol takes into account and allows, and they argue that the time to begin implementing it is now because of the explosive and unpredictable nature of new applications coming on line. Like wireless apps, as a prime example, that could blow away everything we've seen to date in terms of creating a demand on the address space. We are beginning to see such implementations in earnest only in some cable modem systems (of the Internet2 type, I think that CANet3 is dabbling in this in Canada), but mostly in wireless access systems of the next gen IP type. For example, in Hong Kong and in Scandinavia there are PCS wireless operators who are deploying systems that are IP-compliant that will use (are currently implementing) IPv6. Their claim is that the shear number of potential end users for wireless services, which measures into the billions (and each individual user's appliances and subroutines) in the face of Internet governance and now some heavy ITU meddling and other shenanigans by johnny-come-lately traditional-vendor interests (my editorial slant) demand it. I can appreciate the logic behind this because IMO the alternative is to continue deploying a never-ending number of translational techniques (such as those that I alluded to above, and spoofing methods where such are not permitted) that only serve to add to administrative entanglement and operator maintenance issues, while never lending themselves to a static, "this is my IP address," scenario. Instead, we have a system that employs dynamic leasing of addresses, which, while fine for today's surfing needs, may prove too problematical when roaming end point ID is desired. I'm no expert on the matter, of course, and would appreciate other views on this matter as well. PeterE, CurtisB, ftth, and many others here in SI who dabble in the nuance of ipiteria may have something more substantive to say on the matter. As for how I think it will impact the last mile? I think that it could enhance the "presence" and IM capabilities in ways that are too administratively burdensome today, and allow for easier solutions to roaming, while allowing SPs to administer their own domains more efficiently. Donw sides? At what price? The costs to ISPs to implement? Re-use of one's own IP address when moving from one provider to the next (IP address portability, as in email address portability... oof, another set of translations and pointers)? Don't know. Let's hear from some others. FAC