IPv6 Trial Update

[#1]

I've been complaining to PlusNet about the lack of IPv6on and off for most of the last 22 years I've been with them, and I'm a static IPv4 user, so I am really annoyed there was no communication about this outside of this forum. In fact I was just about to sign up with TOOB fibre to get IPv6 when I happened to see a comment on the Register about PlusNet now having IPv6 (actually I was just about to correct them, and found the community post).

So I am still able to get on the trail, or do I just go ahead and sign with TOOB?

[#2]

@druck The trial is fully subscribed and running, so no you can't join it.

[#3]

22 years?

I suggest thou dost protest too much.  IPv6 saw its world release date only 13 years ago and to all intents and purposes delivers little other than an alternative means of network addressing.

[#4]

Looking back through forum history your most recent query on IPv6 was replied to with “99% of their customer probably don't even care or know what IPv6 is.” And remains as then now.

[#5]

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@Townman wrote:

Looking back through forum history your most recent query on IPv6 was replied to with “99% of their customer probably don't even care or know what IPv6 is.” And remains as then now.

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Yes, as an unhelpful response from forum moderators then as as now.

[#6]

Superusers aren’t moderators…

[#7]

@druck 

For reference - https://community.plus.net/t5/Everything-else/When-will-PlusNet-begin-supporting-IPV6/m-p/1780181#M2...

What answer do you want conjuring up which you’ll deem more helpful?  Helpful to what end?  Staff have  commented here about the trail programme, advising they will provide an update … when there is an update to provide.  Have you missed that post?

You’ve not articulated any meaningful reason for suggesting this is a real priority for the majority of users.  Frankly most do not care what the wet string is, nor how it works so long as they can get their email, browse the internet and stream Netflix.  IPv6 delivers no meaningful benefits to the vast majority of.

You were offered sound advice when you asked the question five years ago; advice it would appear you’ve not acted on, thus one concludes this is not actually essential for your unspecified reasons.

Agreed, it’s all nice to know for inquiring minds, some of whom will want the latest technology regardless of having a real need.  If one has specific real drop dead needs for IPv6 there are other providers offering it now.

[#8]

It's a couple of days since I read the Wikipedia piece on this, so I may have forgotten something, but it did mention that the IETF didn't ratify the final RFC until 2017.

[#9]

Guess one thus needs a Time Machine to have been complaining for 22 years.

IIRC 22 years ago, internet from any provider was a dial-up service running as 56kbps on a really good day.  Certainly when I joined Plusnet around 24 years ago, it was a dial up pay as you go service only … IPv6 never having been heard of.

[#10]

RFC 1883 was published in 1995. The first significant trials of IPv6 began about 29 years ago in 1996.

Worldwide over 45% of all traffic by end users to Google services are over IPv6. In the UK IPv6 accounts for 50% of Google's traffic, 55% in the US, 75% in Germany and 85% in France. It's not really niche any more. Commerical users have to pay extra for IPv4 with some providers already, and this is becoming increasingly widespread.

IPv4 traffic is more and more frequently run through middle boxes and proxies as a cost saving measure which decreases performance for end users, whilst IPv6 traffic takes a more direct route.

[#11]

@TimSmall Well said. Plusnet is very definitely behind the curve here. Their first trials of IPv6 were many, many years ago.

It's true that many people have no idea of what IPv6 is, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be a *necessary* part of a modern Internet connection. Most people don't know what IPv4 is either.

Thanks.

Ronny

[#12]

We probably had more dial-up than broadband customers 22 years ago but we definitely had a good number of broadband back then. AAISP were just launching IPv6 around then too if I remember correct.

@druck I've sent you a PM.

[#13]

I rely on IPv6 for some services I use (no support for IPv4). The workaround I have, while it works, is unsatisfactory for a few reasons. PlusNET is clearly behind compared to other UK ISPs, who mostly now provide IPv6. If it doesn’t arrive by the time my plan is up, I’ve decided to change to TOOB AltNet. It’s a pity because I’ve been with PlusNET for many years and have been very happy with their support.

[#14]

@Stuper You are what you might call a 'special case'. The vast majority of Plusnets (and at a guess, other 'budget' ISPs) customers only want an internet that 'usually' works - how, they neither know nor care.

I'm no longer one of them, but was for around 10 years, and I never had any issues accessing any sites.

[#15]

I think you are selling PlusNet and it's customers short, not everyone is a budget Talk-Talk refugee. I joined to get one of the first reasonably priced ADSL services, but stayed because it's been extremely reliable over the years, Customer service has been absolutely first class when dealing with the very few issues I've had. When a more widespread outage occurred (the last one many years ago), I was very impressed with the level of technical detail given about what went wrong and what was being done to prevent a reoccurrence, which you just didn't get from other mainstream ISPs.

There have been two things I have pressed PlusNet on implementing, the first being encrypted POP3, IMAP and SMTP to prevent email from being intercepted when logging in from outside of PlusNet's network, which was implemented a few years ago. The other being IPv6, which was trailed donkeys years ago, and we've been waiting impatiently for progress ever since. I am now very glad to see a new trail is underway and hopefully it will be rolled out in the near future.

IPv6 support is becoming increasingly important, but with ISP support customers will be able to use IPv6 only services without knowing or caring.