What is World IPv6 Day and Why Should I Care?

On June 8, 2011, a host of major Internet network providers and websites will be running a twenty-four-hour “Test Flight” of IPv6 on their networks.  While this will be transparent to most users of the Internet, it is definitely not an insignificant event.  So what is IPv6, and how does it affect you?

On June 8, 2011, a host of major Internet network providers and websites will be running a twenty-four-hour “Test Flight” of IPv6 on their networks.  While this will be transparent to most users of the Internet, it is definitely not an insignificant event.  So what is IPv6, and how does it affect you?

The Internet runs on Internet-Protocol Addresses or IPs.  These addresses allow data to be routed around the world to the websites or other Internet resources you access, and it works great!  You may see something like www.in-kc.com in your browser, but under the covers your computer is accessing an IP address like 67.52.252.114.  We have one little problem though. 

There are only about 4.3 billion IPs available in the current system, and we’re running out.  Way back in 1982 Internet engineers replaced an old addressing system with IPv4, our current system.  They didn’t imagine that we’d ever want more than 4.3 billion devices connected to a single world-wide network.  Today we have mobile phones, computers, street signs, and even coffee pots that are connected to the Internet, and we’re running out of IPs. 

IPv6 To the Rescue

Around 1992 engineers at the IETF began to realize that we would run out of IPs, and they started an effort solve this problem.  By 1995 they had settled on a new addressing protocol, IPv6.  This protocol provides for 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 (three hundred forty undecillion) addresses.  That’s roughly five addresses for every atom in every human body on planet earth, and it should be enough to last us a while.  The new protocol doesn’t only come with a huge boost in the number of devices it can handle; it is also easier to configure, more secure, and provides for a smooth transition from IPv4. 

There are still many, many devices on the Internet that don’t support IPv6, and they must be phased out over the next few years if we’re going to see the advantages of IPv6.  Some organizations are already using IPv6 at some level, but the new protocol is not widely used on the Internet yet.  That will begin to change on June 8 when the Test Flight of IPv6 begins. 

To quote the Internet Society, the coordinator of World IPv6 Day:

“World IPv6 Day will act as a focal point to bring existing efforts together. For the first time, players from all parts of the industry will be able to work towards the common goal of enabling IPv6 at a large scale with minimal disruption. By acting together, ISPs, web site operators, OS manufacturers, and equipment vendors will be able to address problems, such as IPv6 brokenness in home networks and incomplete IPv6 interconnection. Also, on the day itself, any global scalability problems can be found in a controlled fashion and resolved cooperatively.”

So hats off to the Internet Society for enlisting Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and many others to take IPv6 for a Test Flight.  It starts at 7:00 PM CDT (midnight UTC) tonight, June 7 (June 8 UTC).  Hopefully it goes well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know if my computers, network, and/or Internet connection are ready for IPv6?

A: You can test your IPv6 readiness at this link.

Q: What do I do if I'm not ready for IPv6?

A: You have some time.  There is no "drop dead" date for converting to IPv6 yet; however, you should be planning for conversion to IPv6.  If you're concerned about you're network's readiness, please contact us. 

Q: How do I participate in World IPv6 Day?

A: If your network is IPv6 ready, you can simply browse to a number of IPv6-enabled web sites like Google or Facebook.  A complete list of participating web sites is here.