On 10/3/07, michael.dillon@bt.com <michael.dillon@bt.com> wrote:
However, if there was a reasonable translation mechanism available which allowed IPv6-only end systems to access IPv4-only content, I think the picture would look quite different.
Doesn't deploying a 6to4 relay in the content provider network, along with IPv6 access to the content provider network, exactly meet this requirement?
Michael, Not in any way, shape or form, no. 6to4 allows folks whose upstream provider is IPv4 only to connect their IPv6 hosts to other IPv6 hosts via IPv6. It does exactly that and nothing else. If you run a web site and only have IPv6 access via 6to4, you SHOULD NOT publish a AAAA record. 6to4 has very few gateways and they get clogged at various times of the day. If you publish a AAAA record, every user who has IPv6 will first try to connect to you via IPv6 and experience a -long- delay.
Perhaps the assignment of IPv4 addresses to end users could become a premium service available to those who need them, leaving cheaper, IPv6-only service for everybody else.
I'm quite sure that this WILL happen within a year or so. Lots of ISPs have already gotten their IPv6 through the trial phase and already offer IPv6 access service, or are about to offer it.
If you care to wager, I'll take some of that action. Without a relatively transparent mechanism for IPv6-only hosts to access IPv4-only sites this isn't going to happen. We don't have such a mechanism built and won't have it deployed in 12 months. Regards, Bill Herrin -- William D. Herrin herrin@dirtside.com bill@herrin.us 3005 Crane Dr. Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004