World IPv6 launch day set to June 6, 2012

IPv4, the most popular and used addressing system in the internetworking, has been exhausted and organizations can no longer avail for the free block of IPv4 addresses. In order to compensate this exhaustion of IP addresses, a new addressing mechanism called IPv6 has already been in use. While IPv6 is more advanced and sophisticated than the IPv4, there are many projects going on to encourage the use of IP version 6. The world is going to celebrate the IPv6 launch day in coming June 6.

This world IPv6 launch day is set in order to aid net address switchover (IPv4 to IPv6). Many large internet companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, Cisco, Internet society, Akamai etc are participating in this world IPv6 launch day. (Back in 2011, June 8th, the world has then observed World IPv6 day but not it is world IPv6 Launch day!)

So, what do we Nepalese have in hands for the World IPv6 Launch day? Our website TechSansar.com is already IPv6 enabled, thanks to CloudFlare’s DNS technology. In Nepal, ISPs like Subisu are already deploying IPv6 addresses; and this should be continued with ISPs like World Link and Mercantile as well.

So, what’s the problem with IPv4?

Many people refer IPv4 as the internet’s growing pain, the last net addresses were handed out in February 2011, and the world needed new IP system (addresses) to continue internetworking. Read more about IPv4 address exhaustion in Wikipedia.

The rapid growth of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets could not hold the limit of 4 billion IPv4 addresses. Moreover, IPv6 is incompatible with IPv4, so the transition has required old hardware to be replaced or updated; and on June 6th, 2012 the world is going to launch the formal transition. This has nothing to impact from user side, because ISPs are likely to aid you if any alternation in your network is needed.