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When is it going to happen

scotchwhisky
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎14-02-2012

When is it going to happen

Hi,
ipv6 has been around for the best part of 20 years as has the threat that we are about to run out of ipv4 addresses. 
Plusnet has been making lots of noise about it for some time but it still seems like years away.
Twenty five  users or so on a trial is not really much progress after the best part of 20 years. Are Plusnet (and other ISPs) really serious or not?
6 REPLIES 6
SimonHobson
Rising Star
Posts: 190
Thanks: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: When is it going to happen

I don't think you understand the challenges of running an ISP.
Technically I suspect they could turn it now (or fairly soon), but it would be commercial suicide to do so. Having people on a trial is how they determine what problems are likely before rolling it out to the many thousands of "technically non-savvy" users who will simply phone the helpdesk who would be swamped. Apart from the pressures on the helpdesk, the bad PR would be very damaging.
They also need reliable and affordable end-user routers - something the CE manufacturers were (and still are) rather slow to come up with. It's no good having IPv6 if the routers you ship either don't support it, or worse still, support it but are unreliable (more helpdesk calls).
I do agree that they are a bit late to the party, but not half as late as others who I suspect still have no plans. But with a network the size of a national ISP, you don't just make changes without serious planning and testing. A small ISP specialising in tech-savvy users is in a better position, Plusnet doesn't have that luxury.
I dare say that they are working their way though the design, build, and testing of new management systems. The test accounts had to be manually created - real accounts will need to be automated, so that means changing every single system involved in managing accounts and the IP addresses connected to them. Not just trivial changes, but some significant changes. I suspect the next phase will be testing the new portal with a test group.
Even just adding an "enable IPv6" checkbox and defaulting it to off is a risk - many people will act in "if it's free, I want it" mode and turn it on, without knowing what it is or if their equipment will handle it. And what happens when there's a problem - yup, calls to the helpdesk and bad PR.
jojopillo
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 9,786
Registered: ‎16-06-2010

Re: When is it going to happen

Hi folks,
I've posted about this here.
Jojo Smiley
scotchwhisky
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎14-02-2012

Re: When is it going to happen

Hi,
Fair enough. I wasn't particularly having a go at PlusNet more the industry in general.  I have just taken delivery of a free ipv6 capable router (TG582n) from Plusnet and had no hesitation in agreeing to stay with them for a year.
Incidentally the router works extremely well, three days of solid operation which is far better than my old Netgear DGN2200.  I must admit that I flashed the ipv6 trial software as soon as I received it. I'm now trying to break it by playing with the telnet interface.  This router is highly recommended by me even though it is so cheap.  
I came from AAISP who have are now in the 10th year of providing ipv6 but as you say they are a small niche (expensive!) ISP.
scotchwhisky
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎14-02-2012

Re: When is it going to happen

So the trial has come to an end.
Guess I was right. Plusnet and others are not really interested in IPv6.
Plusnet made a lot of noise but it was just hot air.
Maybe in another 10 years........................
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: When is it going to happen

Quote
. Plusnet and others are not really interested in IPv6.

I'm really not sure where that's come from? We are definitely interested in doing this (we have to do something about the lack of IPv4 addresses), and a service trial is planned : http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,106125.0.html
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
taras
Grafter
Posts: 226
Registered: ‎22-08-2008

Re: When is it going to happen

SimonHobson is pretty much right about the speed of implementation. but at the same time the industry as a whole have ignored the issues that ipv4 will eventually produce. Because of this its not just a simple case of "pushing an ipv6 switch" but running things in dual stack mode and thats likely to last 10 years alone maybe more before we completely drop v4.