The state of ipv6 on the internet

While reading stories over the last couple of years about ipv6, and how isp's are working to implement it, I was wondering what needs to actually happen for ipv6 to fully kick in, and for ipv4 to drop to a secondary role?

How much of the internet is currently ipv6 compatable? is there any percentage figure?

I'm just wondering how much progress is being made.

Apparently it's up to 20% according to Google. As for what should be done about it - nothing. IPv4 still works just fine.

Edited by Andrue (Sat 30-Dec-17 15:30:53)

And ipV6 just works fine as well. Been on Sky ipv6 for the past year or so, looks like I am among the 20%.

Akamai by country and network estimates at https://www.akamai.com/uk/en/about/our-thinking/stat...

While there appear to be "enough" IPv4 addresses for the UK, helped by DWP selling off chunks of their vast (/8) holding to UK and other ISPs, UK IPv6 usage is slowly increasing. See https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/s...

For most, the crunch will come in that far off day when they find that a site they want to access is only accessible with IPv6. I gather that there are a few already.

Personally, I gave up waiting for BT to actually roll out IPv6 to me (HH5) and Plusnet to start at all, and am moving my lines to an IPv6 capable ISP (AAISP). There are other reasons. I admit that I want IPv6, but do not currently need it.

intrigued by you comment that you gave up waiting for BT to get IPV6. on one of our relatives lines which is on BT infinity using Asus router which I installed, ipv6 is working just fine.

Edited by choppersrock (Sat 30-Dec-17 18:09:14)

Yep, it�s been on my BT Retail line for a year now.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Yep, it�s been on my BT Retail line for a year now.

Agreed and the same for me.

Paul

I've had IPv6 on Sky for 18 months now.

IPv6 transition is more of an issue for service providers than consumers (aside from CGNAT), because in many cases new services and servers require unique IP addresses, which are mostly exhausted on IPv4, but practically infinite on IPv6. The highly inflated cost of IPv4 addresses may be insignificant to the likes of Facebook and Twitter, but it is very much a factor for fledgling service providers, non-profits, enthusiasts and community projects for instance.

But there's no point in service providers providing services on IPv6 addresses if consumers can't access them, creating something of a chicken and egg situation. It therefore requires consumer ISPs to "do their part" for the good of the internet industry as a whole, and some of them are better at it than others.

In reply to a post by dsergeant:

And ipV6 just works fine as well. Been on Sky ipv6 for the past year or so, looks like I am among the 20%.

Me too. I first got IPv6 when I joined IDNet four years or so ago. Then I left for Plusnet and was without it for 3.5 years. I didn't miss it. Now I'm back with IDNet and have it again. It's made no noticeable difference.

Obviously we need to transition eventually but we're a long way from it being essential.

And for those whose ISP is really dragging their heels (here's looking at you PN) and would like to try IPv6 there's always the option of using one of the free IPv6 tunnel brokers. Been using Hurricane Electric's tunnelbroker.net service since 2008 on a couple of routers and it's been amazingly incident-free.

However - have noticed recently that as IPv6 rollout continues some of the smaller tunnel brokers have withdrawn as their services are no longer required.