Today is officially World IPv6 Day. On this day many of the world's major internet content providers (e.g. Google, Facebook etc.) will offer their services over the "new" Internet Protocol v6 (IPv6) addressing standard for a 24-hour "test flight". Readers should note that an IP address is assigned to your computer each time you go online (the internet equivalent of a phone number), which allows you to connect with other services.

The effort is designed to motivate broadband ISPs and Web Hosts into speeding up their adoption of IPv6 addresses (e.g. 2002:0:0:0:0:0:5517:38c6) and to move away from IPv4 (e.g. 84.76.41.2). That's because IPv4 addresses, which most of us use today, are running out and many firms have yet to adapt.

Fluidata - The Key Business Benefits of IPv6 Adoption

- We’ll never run out! 3.4 x 1038 = 340 trillion trillion trillion addresses - about 670 quadrillion addresses per square millimetre of the Earth's surface

- IPv6 addresses solve the problem with NAT which can make end-to-end integration difficult to achieve

- Hidden technology benefits such as multicast capabilities will solve issues of data overload – one to many content provision will lessen strain on overloaded networks

- Easier management of networks - IPv6 offers auto-configuration capabilities which are simply more manageable, especially for larger implementations – no more manual overlays

- Improved security – IPSEC as standard

- Unbounded opportunity for innovation and collaboration due to the size, scale and flexibility of IPv6 plus better interoperability and mobility capabilities

- Choosing a service provider that can offer dual-stack ensures that future growth doesn’t rely on paying over the odds for a disappearing technology

- Early investment on the part of the operators would mitigate any future costs.

Initial data from internet content giant Akamai appears to be showing the beginnings of a significant surge in IPv6 based online activity today.


The vast majority of ordinary consumers need not worry themselves about this too much because any credible ISP will seek to make the transition as seamless as possible. However, not all of them appear to comprehend how fast the landscape is changing.

Most of the largest providers have a significant stockpile of IPv4 addresses that should last them for several years before IPv6 becomes critical, although by this time some important services might already be unreachable to IPv4-only connections.

It is of costly to run dual stack IPv4 and IPv6 networks side by side and eventually ISPs will want to get rid of IPv4 altogether, but that won't happen for quite a few years (it would cause far too many problems with older software and devices). In the meantime most ISPs complain that the biggest problem is the slow pace of progress in adding IPv6 support to consumer broadband routers and other devices.

UPDATE 10:30am

AVM of Germany informs us that their new FRITZ!Box 7390 router also provides native IPv6 DSL connections and supports running Tunnels (6to4, SiXx, 6RD, 6in4). AVM also reports that their broadband routers for Docisis 3.0, ADSL2+, VDSL, and Ethernet Internet access all support native and tunnelled IPv6.

Meanwhile the business division of Virgin Media has told people not to panic about the internet collapsing or the creation of a two-tier internet between IPv4 and IPv6 services.


UPDATE 10:44am

More comments coming in.