As a reminder world IPv6 launch day is today with around 3000 sites going IPv6 by default (if you have such connectivity).....

You can test your connection at http://test-ipv6.com and learn more at http://www.worldipv6launch.org/

As is the case with almost all Swedish ISP's, mine has no interest whatsoever in flipping the switch for IPv6, despite their network hardware and software long since being ready for it (people have been contacting their ISP's for years and each and every time the person on the other side is going "huh, ip-whut?"). Most likely, they haven't figured out how to convince their customers to pay for it (understandable, with most going "I can reach facebook already, so why should I pay for this ip-whatever?") therefore not educating their sellers and support people, and they obviously don't want to flip the switch for free.

Then again, I'm on Telia as they're the only option I have for 100/100, but almost every other ISP is the same, even going down to ADSL connections and "speeds". Notable exception being Bahnhof, but even with their unique pro-privacy&pro-internet stance, I'm not downgrading to ADSL, and they don't have fiber connections in my town at all (yet).

From what I can tell here in the UK the only ISP currently offering native IPv6 is Andrews and Arnold (http://aaisp.net.uk) ...

For testing from my home connection I'm using a tunnel via tunnelbroker.net ... a nice side effect is that my /48 allocation comes from the US overall allocation and consequently the data routed over their gets geolocated as a US presence (despite the fact it is not) and this gets me the larger selection available on the US Netflix compared to the UK one without having to mess about with proxies....

Heh, I imagine very few people here will be interested in the IPv6 "revolution" considering that almost all of us access the Internet through an ISP....

I can tell by the number of actors involved that this will not be a seamless transition :(.

I guess we can expect to have to support both ipv4 and ipv6 for some time.

Well, time to brush up on ipv6 to reconfigure my iptables and Apache server.

Waiting for my ISP to come through - they're finally making preparations. My Web-sites are all already cut over to IPv6, and my home network has been running IPv6 as the primary protocol since about 1999. Just need the last few pieces in place.

BT has been IPv6 ready for 3 years they just won't flick the goddamn switch! (likely cause it means updating the homehubs)

Yes.... I know what you mean....

The biggest blocker for the large part for ISPs is that the 'free' modems that have been given out over the last years for the large part do not have the resources to provide IPv6 connectivity as ADSL2+ rates .... they'd just lock up in some way ....

With that being the case just 'flicking the switch' would be more harmful than not to customers so a gradual staged plan is needed - but this is going to take some time (a year or two at least most likely).

Core infrastructure for the large part is all ready - but the CPE devices are not and the ones that are remain to expensive to sink the cost for customer upgrades....

They're switching business users over at 3pm today

That's very interesting to know.....

Netflix went IPv6 by default last week - hopefully the cry of "but there's no content so no point providing IPv6 to consumers!" will be defeated soon (TM) .....

They won't have a choice, but to do it at some point.

My understanding is that the internet will be running out of IP addresses with IPv4.

Either that or start competing for who is entitled to have an IP address on the web :P.

ISP level NATS have slowed it down a lot though (and created the mother of all headaches for us >.<) they don't really need to rush so they aren't even prepping in most cases.

What's happening initially is Carrier Grade NAT (CGN) to extend their IPv4 allocations.... this has an unfortunate side effect that it breaks the ability to contact anyone directly who is behind one of these....

The 'Internet' *has* run out of IPv4 addresses at this point - it actually ran out at the start of the year when IANA assigned their last remaining networks to the regional registries .... the European registry (RIPE) is estimated to run out Aug/Sep at thi spoint I believe....

The problem internally in the major ISPs is the cost to implement for the large part... there is a substantial investment needed to get consumers on IPv6 for them. Right now the vast majority (I'd go so far to say all in fact) of content their customers are interested in is over IPv4 - and the vast majority of this is accessible with CGN too.

CGN is a lot cheaper for the ISPs to implement than IPv6.

Thus we reach the impasse - the cost-benefit analysis undertaken by the businesses give a better short term gain of IPv4 CGN than IPv6 deployment .... IPv6 will have to be on the roadmaps but these would be long term ones a year or more in the future.

It is unfortunate but that is the reality....

However with content starting to become available over IPv6 the 'there is no content anyway' argument goes.... what we really need now is some content provider to give a major feature gain by having an IPv6 connection (SIP/VOIP or video streaming direct from one home to another... reaching your devices at home without port forwarding being needed etc etc) that provides a market advantage to them which can then properly get the ball rolling...

Once it becomes a competitive featureset to advertise (think an advert "you get the next-generation of internet with us") then the CBA swings the other way else you face the risk of losing market position... and then investment could happen to a larger extent than is current.

Sadly, my ISP has their heads in the mud and because I live in one of the more rural states I doubt many ISPs here will be upgrading any time soon.

Well, I don't have a fixed IP at home, but I can tell you that so far, the most meaningful impact of my provider's strategy is that I can't really host a permanent web service directly from my home computer (which is probably a thrilling restriction for my ISP, I'm sure they had home use only in mind when they designed the plan).

Otherwise, my IP is semi-permanent (as long as I don't turn off the internet router for more than a few minutes, I keep my external IP and at very least, I have a range of external ports allocated to me at any given time, cause I can listen to incoming connections with various applications that listen on different ports).

So unfortunately, I don't foresee regular customers feeling the impact for some time assuming that their ISP works in a similar way.

Those most likely to feel it are a fringe minority who want permanent services on the internet from their home and they have access to external hosting plans for that (which are pricier, but get the job done).

However, I agree with you that IPv6 is just the solution that makes sense and we'll have to do the switch eventually so might as well bite the bullet and do it.

Unfortunately, in my case, I just noticed that the company that provides my VPS hosting plan did not provide me with an IPv6 address, only an IPv4 address. I'm sure many others are in a similar situation. Not that it matters in my case as the web service I provide is more of an experiment to get my hands dirty with some of the technologies and is currently limited to very small number of users, but still: my situation probably applies to some more substantial internet applications providers (especially those that apply to web browsers were persistent connections are a fledgling part of the HTML5 standard and they have to do without anyways).

As long as the hosting plans don't have a stake in the game, the hands of many applications providers are tied.