[LINK] Fwd: Internet Society, World IPv6 Launch

[Paul Brooks]

On 9/06/2012 4:17 PM, Alex (Maxious) Sadleir wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 9, 2012 at 4:01 PM, Richard Chirgwin
> <rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>> On 9/06/12 11:58 AM, David Boxall wrote:
>>>
>>> I've applied for an interim NBN satellite service. I've heard, probably
>>> on Link, that the NBN will support v6 from the start. Am I right in
>>> thinking that the home network can stick with v4 for quite a while, if
>>> not indefinitely, provided the 'net interface supports v6?
>> I'll correct this detail. The IPv4 / IPv6 remains the choice of the
>> retail service provider. The NBN delivers a Layer 2 service.
> "NBN Co has begun work on support for Internet Protocol version 6
> (IPv6) for Layer 3 protocols on the National Broadband Network, with
> the first elements expected to become available next year.
>
> Though the NBN is primarily a Layer 2 network - solely providing the
> data link to end-users - it plans to offer some Layer 3 network
> services including multicast, SIP telephony and quality of service."
> http://www.itnews.com.au/News/272437,nbn-co-plans-ipv6-support.aspx

Thats right.

The primary service from NBN Co is effectively a layer-2 Ethernet point-to-point
virtual circuit between the Ethernet port on the home NBN box and the ISP. This is
supposed to be IP-version-transparent and should pass IPv6 immediately, so support for
IPv6 is in the hands of the ISP, not NBN Co.
(I say 'should' because satellite services are usually Layer-3 based, so for the
interim satellite services on the IPStar satellite I believe they are having to do
some funky layer-2-tunnel-emulation-across-native-Layer-3-service magic, which might
cause an issue, at least until their own satellites are launched).

Some NBN functions include IP layer interactions - the SIP-based analogue telephone
adapter software driving the PSTN ports, and the multicast replication function. These
are currently IPv4 only in the software within the NBN NTD, and as the article states
IPv6 support for the SIP and MLD (IPv6 equivalent ti IPv4's IGMP) is being added.

Worthwhile noting that these are more of an issue for the ISP than for the customer -
the customer plugs a PSTN phone into the PSTN port, and probably an ISP-supplied
SetTopBox for the multicast IPTV service, so the customer really doesn't interact with
the IPv4/IPv6 functionality in any case. For the basic Internet service, the NBN
should be IP version agnostic already.

Inside the home network there will be a mixture of IPv4 and IPv6 for decades to come.
Your desktop will already be using IPv6 to talk to other IPv6-enabled devices - such
as network shared folders between desktops/taptops within your home, whether or not
your router supports IPv6. If you have ethernet-connected appliances like printers,
and smart TVs, DVD players, media players etc - they'll likely be IPv4 until they die
and are replaced - and the next generation may not support IPv6 either.

P.