IPv4 and IPv6 Address Allocation

USTTI Workshop
October 2010

Presented by:
Steve Conte (conte@isoc.org)
The Internet Society
http://www.isoc.org
 Internet Addressing

•  Each device attached to the Internet must

have a unique address associated with it
•  Unique Internet Protocol (IP) address
allows for information to be sent and
received by an attached device
•  Addresses are typically allocated and
assigned in a contiguous block to better
facilitate routing

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 Internet Addressing (con’t)

•  Addresses are assigned in a hierarchal

fashion:
–  IANA
–  RIR
–  (NIR)
–  LIR (ISP)
–  Customer
–  End User

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 IPv4 Addressing

•  32 bits long
•  Typically represented in the “dotted decimal”
notation. For example, 206.131.241.137
•  In theory, IPv4 provides 4,294,967,296 possible
unique addresses
•  Allocating subnets (smaller networks than the
original “classful” scheme provided for) reduces
that number
•  Over-allocation or unused addresses also deplete
the overall amount of available addresses
•  Large network but is becoming full

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 Network Address Translation
(NAT)
•  NAT allows multiple devices to connect to
the Internet with only one public IP
address
•  RFC 1918 assigns specific address
ranges that are considered “private
networks”
•  NAT provides a table and performs that
translation between the private space and
the public Internet
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 NAT Drawbacks

•  Fails to provide true end-to-end

connectivity between devices connected to
the Internet
•  Cannot participate with all protocols
•  May impact UDP traffic (stateless)
•  Use of NAT at a organizational and/or ISP
level may significantly delay the
deployment of IPv6

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 IPv6 Addressing

•  128 bits long

•  Typically represented in eight groups of
hexadecimal numbers, for example
2001:4830:2480:11::137
•  Roughly
340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,43
1,768,211,456 available IP addresses

http://www.isoc.org
 IPv6 (con’t)
•  Kim Davies from ICANN wrote:

“Volume of earth: 1.0832073 × 10^12 km³

=1.0832073 × 10^21 m³
=1.0832073 × 10^27 cm³
IPv6 space: =3.4028236 × 10^38
IPv4 space: =4.2949672 × 10^9
IPv6/IPv4 space =7.9228162 × 10^28

So, if all the IPv6 space was the size of earth, then you could fit IPv4 in 73.142
cubic centimetres.

An iPod is 2.4″×4.1″×0.55″ = 5.41 cubic inches = 88.68 cubic centimetres.

So, ball park, if all the IPv4 space would fit in an iPod, then all the IPv6
space is the size of the entire Earth.”

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 Size matters not (sort of)

•  Increased size of available addresses isn’t

the only advantage of migrating to IPv6:
–  True end-to-end connectivity
–  Mandatory network security layer
–  Simplified processing by routers
–  Larger payload per packet

http://www.isoc.org
 Making the switch – IPv6
readiness
•  With regards to equipment, most IPv6
readiness compatibility issues can be
resolved via software/firmware patches or
upgrades
•  Some older equipment may not be able to
handle IPv6, or the equipment manufacturer
may be out of business
•  Much of the corporate level equipment is
already IPv6 compatible
•  Much of the consumer level equipment is not
yet IPv6 compatible

http://www.isoc.org
 Deployment vs. Readiness

•  Most (if not all) Tier 1 backbone providers

are IPv6 ready and can offer IPv6 transit
to their customers
•  More and more ISPs are now offering “v6
native” transit, especially in collocation
facilities
•  More IPv6 deployment is happening where
new equipment is being installed (mostly
outside the United States)
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 Get involved!

•  Deploying IPv6 locally will significantly

contribute to the global transition to a IPv6
capable Internet
•  The more demand for IPv6, larger
companies will begin to change out their
equipment
•  The more demand for IPv6 will enable
more applications to be built that are
enhanced by new IPv6 capabilities
http://www.isoc.org
 IPv6 Resources

•  IETF has many active IPv6 working groups

that are developing protocols and extensions
to enhance the IPv6 experience
•  There are organizations that support the
adoption and deployment of IPv6 around the
globe, including the IPv6 Task Force and the
IPv6 Forum
•  Many of the NOGs have forums on IPv6
deployment where people will share their
experience of transitioning to an IPv6
network

http://www.isoc.org
 Workshop Overview

09:30 – 10:30 The Organisations of the Internet

10:30 – 12:00 The IETF
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:00 Internet Collaboration
14:00 – 15:00 DNSSEC
15:00 – 15:15 Break
15:15 – 16:15 IPv4, IPv6 and Address Allocation
16:15 – 17:30 Open Forum for Topical Discussions

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