We've known since 1992 that good old IP version 4 would run out of addresses one day, and the first commercial implementation of IPv6 came out in 1996. Surely by 2011, the IET should be showing a bit of leadership by enabling its web site for IPv6 access? If the IET can't do this, how do we expect to inspire industry to get on with it?

Since when did the IET inspire industry to do anything?

It's not really a case of enabling their website for IPv6, that bit is quite trivial for most modern OS and http daemons. However if the IETs ISP doesn't support IPv6 then they won't be able to connect stuff up. They could use a tunnel broker or 6to4 or Teredo but it's still not that practical in high traffic situations since you end up tunneling through someone who may not be happy about the large amounts of bandwidth used.

The real issue with IPv6 rollout is the lack of leadership from the ISPs and backbone carriers. They all have equipment fully capable of handling IPv6 and could already have it rolled out across their networks enabling access to anyone who had the appropriate CE equipment to connect up but they've help it back constantly citing cost. Problem is there is now likely to be a mad Y2K like dash to implement it leading to shoddy work and half baked setups which likely means pain for a while to come.

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Jake Greenland, CEng MIET.
CCIE #22595

> The real issue with IPv6 rollout is the lack of leadership from the ISPs and backbone carriers.

Absolutely. But that will only change when enterprise customers start *requiring* IPv6 in their RFPs.

I agree totally, the likes of Google are leading the way here but then they largely run their own networks and have their own international peering and backhaul. Aadly I suspect the IET isn't really a "big" enough customer to make such demands of the ISPs in terms of their internet presence but it would be nice for them to start using a v6 enabled ISP just to demonstrate that they recognise the issue - would likely cost more money to do so tho as the cheaper ISPs will just reject the business based on plenty more fish in the sea.

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Jake Greenland, CEng MIET.
CCIE #22595