One-stop website explains everything you need to know about the new Internet protocol, IPv6
20 May 2009
The RIPE NCC, the not-for-profit organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet, launches the IPv6 Act Now website today. With an Internet community position statement on IPv6 supported by over 800 organisations, the website explains the new Internet protocol in terms that everyone can understand. It also urges adoption of IPv6 by all organisations integral to the Internet’s infrastructure.
The website, www.ipv6actnow.org, shows support for the RIPE IPv6 position statement from an exhaustive list of high profile technology and telecoms brands and governments alongside commercial and not-for-profit organisations.
The website is designed to appeal to everyone with an interest in IPv6, from network engineers to company directors, from law enforcement agencies to government representatives and civil society. Site content is updated regularly and includes:
- Expert education, advice and opinion
- The latest relevant news stories
- Written and video content from Internet community leaders
- Current IPv4 exhaustion/IPv6 uptake statistics
- European Commission updates
- Information on IPv6 distribution policies
- Useful links to other sources of IPv6 information
- A forum for everyone to share experiences, ask questions and find answers.
The video section launches with contributions from APNIC, the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the Asia Pacific region, and the RIPE NCC.
“The IPv6 Act Now website is for everyone with an interest in the long-term growth and success of the Internet; for anyone seeking information to help guide them through the deployment of IPv6 in their network,” comments Axel Pawlik, Managing Director, the RIPE NCC. He continues, “Multi-stakeholder cooperation is essential for the continued growth and success of the Internet. The support for the RIPE community’s IPv6 position statement demonstrates the willingness of public and private sector organisations to work together to deploy IPv6 sooner rather than later.”
One of the world’s five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), the RIPE NCC is launching the site as a resource directory for all stakeholders to aid the adoption of IPv6.
I understand that the IPv4 addresses are running out, but what I don’t understand is why is it so complex to move for 256.256.256.256 scheme to a
256.256.256.256.256.256. It appears that you could overlay the new IPv6 over the older IPv4 and just handle via attrition and migration. I know future devices will have to be developed to handle IPv6, but there has to be away to migrate the current IPv4 scheme to IPv6. Call me an idiot, but
whay am I missing here?
Is there any migration plan for IPv4 only based network? For now it seems that IPv6 and IPv4 subnetworks are perfectly isolated.
@Clint: IPv4 and IPv6 are not compatible “on the wire”. That means that if one system only speaks IPv4 and the other only IPv6, then they cannot directly talk to each other. You need some kind of translation mechanism between them. There are such solutions, and I’m sure you’ll find useful pointers in the “links” section.
@Damian: Ask your favourite ISP if they have such plans
Better yet, demand it from them 
Robert