Access denied: Linksys routers without support for IPv6
With the recent buzz and chaos regarding the IPv6 switch, an interesting fact surfaced in a recent Computerworld report.
By Max BurkhalterFebruary 10, 2011
With the recent buzz and chaos regarding the IPv6 switch, an interesting fact surfaced in a recent Computerworld report. While the main to-do has involved websites making their content accessible to users on different platforms, the popular Linksys router is currently without support for the new internet addresses.
While Cisco, maker of the best-selling line of routers, continues to release newer models of the router - such as the new E4200 - none offer upgraded support, which the company has promised to have by the spring.
"IPv6 is foundational to the next-generation internet, enabling a range of new services and improved user experiences," Cisco relayed in a prepared statement sent to Computerworld. "As ISPs begin rolling out IPv6 service to their customers, consumers will need new routers and gateways that support IPv6 to participate in this next generation internet. Later this spring, Cisco will begin enabling IPv6 across its consumer line of routers including the Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band Wireless-N Router. It is critical that consumers begin looking for products and devices that support IPv6."
Cisco's lack of support is odd, considering the networking world has been aware of the shortage in IPv4 addresses for years. In fact, several of Linksys' competitors have been offering IPv6-ready routers to consumers for quite some time.
Also, Cisco has been involved with the promotion for World IPv6 trial day, when all the websites will switch for the day to test functionality, and the company even created its own IPv6-only address, www.ipv6.cisco.com.
When Computerworld asked Linksys whether its customers will need to upgrade routers once their IPv6 is released, the news site received no reply. However, when it questioned Netgear, one of Cisco's main competitors, the company stated all their routers already support IPv6 and are completely certified.
With the last of the IPv4 addresses already issued and the switch to IPv6 not far away, the apparent negligence of Cisco is troubling.
Regarding the publicized World IPv6 Day, Microsoft's search engine, Bing, recently joined the participants. Currently, several internet giants, such as Facebook and Google, are board for the test day, where errors involved with IPv6 sites can be tracked down and corrected before a broader transition to the new internet protocol.
While Cisco, maker of the best-selling line of routers, continues to release newer models of the router - such as the new E4200 - none offer upgraded support, which the company has promised to have by the spring.
"IPv6 is foundational to the next-generation internet, enabling a range of new services and improved user experiences," Cisco relayed in a prepared statement sent to Computerworld. "As ISPs begin rolling out IPv6 service to their customers, consumers will need new routers and gateways that support IPv6 to participate in this next generation internet. Later this spring, Cisco will begin enabling IPv6 across its consumer line of routers including the Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band Wireless-N Router. It is critical that consumers begin looking for products and devices that support IPv6."
Cisco's lack of support is odd, considering the networking world has been aware of the shortage in IPv4 addresses for years. In fact, several of Linksys' competitors have been offering IPv6-ready routers to consumers for quite some time.
Also, Cisco has been involved with the promotion for World IPv6 trial day, when all the websites will switch for the day to test functionality, and the company even created its own IPv6-only address, www.ipv6.cisco.com.
When Computerworld asked Linksys whether its customers will need to upgrade routers once their IPv6 is released, the news site received no reply. However, when it questioned Netgear, one of Cisco's main competitors, the company stated all their routers already support IPv6 and are completely certified.
With the last of the IPv4 addresses already issued and the switch to IPv6 not far away, the apparent negligence of Cisco is troubling.
Regarding the publicized World IPv6 Day, Microsoft's search engine, Bing, recently joined the participants. Currently, several internet giants, such as Facebook and Google, are board for the test day, where errors involved with IPv6 sites can be tracked down and corrected before a broader transition to the new internet protocol.
