Happy World IPv6 Day! Today, major technology players like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube, Cisco and others will take part in a 24-hour test flight of the next generation Internet protocol. This exercise is to gauge how smooth or pain-riddled the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 will be.
When does the testing start? For those in New York, testing began on Tuesday, June 7 at 8pm and will end Wednesday, June 8 at 8pm. Everyone can check start and finish times in their local areas at server2.test-ipv6.com.
Quick recap: IP addresses are unique numbers received by every device that connects to the Internet (or a private network), so that those devices can communicate with other devices on the same network. Websites and email domains (for instance, the @example.com part of an email address) also have associated IP addresses.
This addressing system is known as Internet Protocol and is currently at version 4; hence IPv4. We've been using IPv4 addresses since the early 1980s. There was a finite amount of IPv4 addresses available, however, and they have now been exhausted.
IPv4 uses a system of numbers, typically separated by decimals, that even casual users of the Internet would probably recognize (if you are unsure, check your computer or phone's network settings for numbers like "192.162.2.235").IPv4 had about 4.3 billion addresses, which ran out more rapidly once mobile devices with Internet connections became commonplace.
Now all new Internet addresses will use IPv6, a system that has more numbers and characters, and is said to have enough spots for 340 trillion, trillion, trillion unique IP addresses. Equipment that uses IPv6 has been in use since 1999.
Although IPv6 has been available since the '90s, not many companies, ISPs, or other organizations have implemented it. Most are still on IPv4. That is changing, though, as governments, corporations, ISP, and MSOs (Multiple System Operators) map out their plans to transition. Of course, the likely scenario is that many networks will run both IPv4 and IPv6 in tandem (called dual-stacking) for a while until IPv6 becomes the standard.
Home users and small business owners should not have too much to worry about: chances are your ISP or the provider hosting your Web site or domain will ensure your transition to IPv6 is fairly seamless—it's the larger enterprises that have to be more proactive. No matter the size of your business, however, you should contact your ISP or Web-hosting service to find out what their plans are for IPv6.
While there should be no panic about the fact that the world has officially run out of IPv4 addresses, vigilance is a best practice, especially for small business owners. But even home users can take precautions to ensure that their home networks are ready for what is most likely to be a gradual transition.
Below is a guide for home users and small business on how to check your devices and network for IPv6-readiness and what resources are out there for you:
Cisco Systems has a useful whitepaper for businesses and enterprises to prepare for IPv6 conversion on its Web site. Here is some information extracted from that site which pertains mostly to smaller businesses:
There are three main areas a small business should focus on in preparing for IPv6: email, web servers and Domain Name Servers (DNS). Many small businesses are using hosted services for all three. If that is the case with your small business, check with your hosting provider to ensure they are IPv6 ready. Many of the larger hosting providers are participating in testing today, so follow up with them to check their results.
For businesses that locally host and manage their email, web servers and DNS:
If you run a small business network, check to ensure all applications and systems can run without incident during this global testing phase. Chances are, most small businesses and home users will not have many issues, although some sites on the Internet and some smaller ISPs may have some hiccups with the transitions. However, this testing and ferreting out potential problems is what World IPv6 day is all about, so use it your advantage.