cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Benifits of IPv6

Timalay
Grafter
Posts: 185
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-05-2010

Benifits of IPv6

What are the benefits of IPv6?  I've just upgraded my Fibre Router (TP-Link Archer C7), and it's IPv6 compatible.
5 REPLIES 5
SimonHobson
Rising Star
Posts: 190
Thanks: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Benifits of IPv6

It depends on what type of user you are.
For the basic user for whom "the internet" extends to Facebook and eMail then really there's little (if any) immediate benefit.
From there, there are several reasons for needing IPv6 :
1) IPv4 addresses are almost all fully used. This means that some sites/services will start to be IPv6 only and will not be accessible to IPv4 only devices (or which are connected over IPv4 only connections). Very few at the moment, but it will start growing - and mostly over in the middle and far east where they started with smaller allocations and have grown fast, and hence (in some cases) actually ran out of IPv4 addresses a while ago.
2) As NAT isn't used, it makes accessing devices on your network easier.
While allowing a simple "open browser and access device" connection still needs the firewall to be configured to allow inbound connections (much as with IPv4 you need to configure port forwarding), it simplifies a lot of things where you want "device to device" connections. Many users are oblivious to the hassle NAT causes simply because so many people put a lot of effort into making software work around the problems - I work in IT and part of my job is "doing networks", I can assure you that NAT is a lot of hassle  (sometimes make me feel like  Crazy )
For other comments, try a quick search.
Top hit at time of writing is http://www.networkcomputing.com/ipv6/six-benefits-of-ipv6/230500009
All "techie stuff" which the average user doesn't need to know about. But just accept that behind the scenes those reasons all equate to "better internet".
Looking down, most results are also a bit techie.
I guess the reason for that is that most people don't really need to know about IP - as long as they can plug in the computer and "it works" then that's all that matters. At it's most basic level, IPv6 offers more addresses - a lot more addresses ! Behind the scenes there is a lot going on, and the current internet is creaking in places for various technical reasons - some of them due to the way IPv4 addresses are allocated.
But I suspect that when it becomes more common, we'll start to see people coming up with new stuff that was "just difficult" under IPv4.

tl;dr ?
Sumary: If you are a basic end user then don't worry, You don't "need" to go IPv6 yet, and if you do then you probably won't see any difference for a while. But if you do, then there is a lot of behind the scenes techie stuff that should make for "a better internet".
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Benifits of IPv6

See attachment for an example of the benefits - try it - it's a nice simple little game: http://loopsofzen.co.uk/
There's not many sites like this at present, but as Simon said there will be more over time.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
chrcoluk
Grafter
Posts: 1,990
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎11-12-2013

Re: Benifits of IPv6

The main benefit at this time is simply to increase ipv6 takeup for the wider benefit of the future internet.
Many website owners think ipv6 isnt worth bothering with because their own isp still supplies them with a non shared ip4 address.  I have seen this attitude on various forums along the lines of  "oh my isp is fine, there is no crisis we dont need ipv6 yet".
Of course if ipv6 adoption grows enough then website owners will be thinking I have to have ipv6 to keep up with the trend, then at that point any isp's who dont yet supply ipv6 will be thinking the same, and eventually people could be moved to ipv6 for main use with ipv4 been only used as a fallback option for legacy sites.
Right now the benefits are for people who have to work/use ipv6 eg. deploying ipv6 websites.  Also one can effectively change their own routing by switching between ipv4 and ipv6 since both usually take different routes.  Plus there is the feature enhancements of ipv6 to consider and that ipv6 user's may have entire ip ranges to themselves since is so many ipv6 ip's.
Certianly in the long term ipv6 will be better for security as ip sharing is a pain in the backside for security.
I agree with simon that nat is a pain to manage as well, I have managed ipv6 deployments and nat, and by far ipv6 is easier.  Which baffles me why some people think cg-nat is easier.
Timalay
Grafter
Posts: 185
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-05-2010

Re: Benifits of IPv6

Well most I use my internet for is mainly Streaming, so no real benefits at the moment then.  But it nice to know that when sites move over to IPv6, I'm future proofed for it.
chrcoluk
Grafter
Posts: 1,990
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎11-12-2013

Re: Benifits of IPv6

good site jelv.