Jim - There’s a huge difference between "IPv6 is being deployed” versus “IPv4 is going away”…
IPv6 is necessary to solve a problem that most networks simply don’t have: i.e., how to handle millions of new devices connecting to your network each and every year with no end in sight. For folks making up the core of the Internet that experience such problems, IPv6 is pretty much essential – and its widespread deployment has taken an enormous burden off requirements that otherwise would have overburdened the IPv4 address space. So yes, IPv4 continues to function, but that’s not really “in spite of IPv6” as “because of IPv6”. There’s no reason that folks running IPv4 shouldn’t continue to do so unmolested – if the tool serves the purpose, then that’s perfectly fine – as long as the requirements that you face don’t change precipitously, you should be able to use IPv4 for all your needs. (This is particularly the case because the cost burden to interoperate with IPv4-only devices continues to be borne by the IPv6 deployers, and that appears to be a reasonably safe assumption for the foreseeable future.) Thanks, /John John Curran President and CEO American Registry for Internet Numbers On Apr 1, 2025, at 4:47 PM, Jim Shankland via NANOG <[email protected]> wrote: I'm not a grumpy old man, but I'm going to play one for a minute. The case for IPv6 was that the Internet was about to collapse, or at least stall out, unless everybody switched over from IPv4. I don't remember when I first heard that claim, but it was definitely in a year that started with a "1". It may be true eventually, too -- who knows, maybe even soon. And yes, there's been plenty of pain and trouble "behind the curtain" along the way. But zoom out to the big picture, and things are still working in IPv4 land. IPv6 will take over (perhaps quickly) once that stops. But until then, stickers and loaded language like "modern" and "legacy" are unlikely to have any effect at all. I hope it's clear that I'm not arguing against IPv6. I've just been watching the "drop dead" date when the transition would be absolutely forced get pushed back for half my professional career: 30 years of "any day now". Jim Shankland On 3/27/25 10:07 AM, Lucien Hoydic via NANOG wrote: Add RCN Chicago (Now Astound), to the list of companies that don't support IPV6. I'm not "Astound"ed by their lack of support for modern technology On Wednesday, March 26th, 2025 at 1:00 PM, Andrew Latham via NANOG <[email protected]> wrote: Today yet another ISP is running Fiber in the utility easement at the street. I checked and they do not offer IPv6 or have ANY IPv6 peering. I have offered the hard to find IPv6 Legacy Warning stickers on my Redbubble profile. About a month before any meeting or event I see a bulk order for Amish IPv6 stickers designed by Phil Benchoff and hard to find post Google+. I have the markup/profit set to the lowest setting and have made maybe $8 over 5+ years. Linky: https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/Legacy-IP-Warning-by-gringomalvado/38585698.EJUG5 Ranting a bit as I have four ISPs boxes at the street and two of them do not have IPv6 in 2025. Converting my frustration into finding Phil and sending him some coffee money. -- - Andrew "lathama" Latham - _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/E36ADONSJ6RWNOBV5JSKGVYZTY7VCS6J/ _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/C2EYACUPLCEXTSWS54J4DPWBGYQRB6YV/ _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/JODZDERTINSZ5FDS2IPXWFMRMS4H3Z4I/ _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/M3UUZLVLR3IA4UXUVYUT2H73CSSCBLGB/
