IPv6 upgrades financially viable for service providers
A large portion of global devices are capable of dialing IPv6.
By Max BurkhalterJune 22, 2011
Finances have emerged as one of the greatest barriers for IPv6 deployment. While service providers have some advantages to gain by deploying IPv6, it has been difficult for many to determine whether the new address protocol is a financially viable option for them at this time. A recent study from the Asia Pacific Network Information Center Research and Development Lab found many host computers are ready for IPv6 if service providers make the protocol an option.
According to APNIC Labs, approximately 25 percent of host machines are capable of operating in native IPv6. This means that one-quarter of all computers around the world could be switched to IPv6 if the network equipment and software supporting them fostered the transition.
Identifying the number of host machines ready for IPv6 was a complex task, but APNIC Labs accomplished it by running a client-side Javascript function that identified a machine's capability to function in native IPv4, dual-stack or native IPv6 environments. This process was accomplished by combining a typical DNS request with an unconventional DNS process that bypasses the systems default DNS lookup and response process and skips directly to checking if the device is capable of using IPv6.
Paul Wilson, director general for APNIC, said the testing procedure allowed APNIC to identify IPV6 readiness in a manner that most browser behavior tests and other IPv6 measurements cannot achieve. He also told the Australian that the test results were promising.
"When I say promising, I mean firm results that show better than expected performance and better than expected prospects for ISPs to make those investments," Wilson told the Australian.
The test results are promising for service providers because they verify that enough host computers are ready for IPv6 to make migration an economically-viable investment. Since outdated equipment and software are the only things keeping many global internet users from deploying IPv6, service providers should be able to make updates that support IPv6 adoption.
However, a recent Google report warns that users should be careful before transitioning to native IPv6. The report explains that DNS lookups experience significant latency when using IPv6 and therefore create major performance issues deploying IPv6. For the most part, the report attributes this to issues with serial and parallel connection types, and said the problems need to be resolved before widespread IPv6 adoption can be fully-embraced.
According to APNIC Labs, approximately 25 percent of host machines are capable of operating in native IPv6. This means that one-quarter of all computers around the world could be switched to IPv6 if the network equipment and software supporting them fostered the transition.
Identifying the number of host machines ready for IPv6 was a complex task, but APNIC Labs accomplished it by running a client-side Javascript function that identified a machine's capability to function in native IPv4, dual-stack or native IPv6 environments. This process was accomplished by combining a typical DNS request with an unconventional DNS process that bypasses the systems default DNS lookup and response process and skips directly to checking if the device is capable of using IPv6.
Paul Wilson, director general for APNIC, said the testing procedure allowed APNIC to identify IPV6 readiness in a manner that most browser behavior tests and other IPv6 measurements cannot achieve. He also told the Australian that the test results were promising.
"When I say promising, I mean firm results that show better than expected performance and better than expected prospects for ISPs to make those investments," Wilson told the Australian.
The test results are promising for service providers because they verify that enough host computers are ready for IPv6 to make migration an economically-viable investment. Since outdated equipment and software are the only things keeping many global internet users from deploying IPv6, service providers should be able to make updates that support IPv6 adoption.
However, a recent Google report warns that users should be careful before transitioning to native IPv6. The report explains that DNS lookups experience significant latency when using IPv6 and therefore create major performance issues deploying IPv6. For the most part, the report attributes this to issues with serial and parallel connection types, and said the problems need to be resolved before widespread IPv6 adoption can be fully-embraced.
