NETGEAR is a worldwide networking kit manufacturer that needs little introduction. Most people have probably heard the name and a significant amount of those who read this article will, whether they realise it or not, be using NETGEAR built broadband ISP routers and related network hardware (a lot of preconfigured ISP kit is re-branded from NETGEAR chipsets).

This makes them the perfect choice for a short interview about where routers are going in the future and why so many consumer broadband routers have been slow to add support for IPv6 internet addresses, despite imminent depletion of the old IPv4 ones (related news).

1. Who are you and what do you do?

NetGear:
Bob Burke. I am NETGEARs outbound Service Provider Marketing liaison with press & analysts. I also handle the SP segment’s public relations, trade shows, web content, product descriptions, collateral, live product demos, lead generation and some forward looking product needs.

2. With IPv4 internet addresses now running out, why has it taken router manufacturers so long to bring IPv6 to consumer products, especially given how old the standard is?

NetGear:
At NETGEAR, we began implementing IPv6 in new products for our Service Provider customers 3 years ago. Every implementation we’ve delivered has been at the choice of our Service Provider customers.

Our Retail operation has been delivering IPv6 support in new consumer router products since the end of 2009.

As for timing on IPv6, a principal reason for perceived delay is this: there’s a lag from when new IPv4 addresses are acquired from the Registries and when the Service Providers run out of them. When SPs purchase the address blocks from the Registries, it doesn’t mean that the SPs are out of addresses to assign to their customers - it’s a “wholesale/retail” relationship.  The “inventory” is merely transferred from the “wholesaler” (Registry) to the “retailer” (SP).

3. The Chairman of the Number Resource Organization (NRO), Raúl Echeberría, said in February 2011 that the five regional registries could potentially deplete their remaining IPv4 address stocks in "anywhere from a few weeks to many months". In light of this, do you think that the general delay in bringing consumer IPv6 capable routers to market could cause connectivity or similar problems for customers in the future?

NetGear:
No. They’ll begin buying IPv6 addresses and use IPv6 capable networking products for their new customers. All the IPv4 routers will continue to work and the IPv6 capable products will deliver all growth.