14 DAY TRIAL // The internet is facing a problem on the scale it hasn't met before. IPv4 addresses, the unique identifiers attached to any computer, phone or device connected to the internet, are becoming insufficient for the number of people and 'things' wanting to get online. The solution is IPv6, a new protocol which supports a much, much larger number of addresses and therefore devices.
The problem is, no one is in a big hurry to switch to IPv6, despite the fact that the very last IPv4 blocks were handed over to regional internet registries yesterday, the mostly symbolic but official depletion of the IPv4 address pool.
In order to get the ball rolling, several big companies worked together to create the IPv6 Day, a global event meant as much for testing, the technology and implemented solutions at scale, as for the opportunity to raise the issue and get people interested and involved.
Initially Google, Facebook and Yahoo along with CNDs Akamai and Limelight Networks pledged to switch over to IPv6 for June 8, 2011. They may be only five companies, but put together they represent quite a big slice of the total global traffic.
And it seems that others are taking notice, the list of companies joining the World IPv6 Day initiative is growing. Sites such as Meebo and technology makers such as Cisco along with several others have pledged their support.
Very recently, Microsoft announced that it is jumping on board as well and it will enable IPv6 connections for Bing.com on June 8 along with everyone else.
Note that what all of these companies are doing is enabling IPv6 connections to their sites globally and by default. However, IPv4 connections will work just as well, it's not a matter of choosing one or another.
The only reason why both protocols are not enabled in parallel all the time is that some hardware and some configurations will experience problems with this set up.
Most likely, by that time, even more companies and groups will join, making the test a real trial-by-fire for the whole internet, putting even more pressure on ISPs not offering support or companies putting off upgrading.
Vint Cerf, one of the key people in the creation of IPv4, who now works for Google, has weighed in and highlighted the need to move on to IPv6.
"As the last blocks of IPv4 addresses are assigned, adoption of a new protocol—IPv6—is essential to the continued growth of the open Internet. IPv6 will expand Internet address space to 128 bits, making room for approximately 340 trillion addresses," he wrote.
"Google, along with others, has been working for years to implement the larger IPv6 format. We’re also participating in the planned World IPv6 Day, scheduled for June 8, 2011. On this day, all of the participating organizations will enable access to as many services as possible via IPv6," he added.