IPv6 Buzz

If you don’t blame “destination unreachable” messages on DNS servers, are you even a real network engineer? All joking aside, Johannes Weber joins the show today to teach us how to use ICMPv6 to troubleshoot network issues, pinpointing if the problem is within your network or outside of it. He walks us through identifying possible ... Read more »

If you’re an Active Directory administrator or part of an enterprise network team working with one, this episode is for you. Ed literally wrote the book “Practical IPv6 for Windows Administrators” so Scott has fun interviewing him as today’s guest. Ed goes over how to diagram out your IPv6 deployment, including address allocation and making ... Read more »

Alexandra Huides didn’t like IPv6 on her first encounter with it. Today she is globally renowned for spreading the IPv6 gospel and helping AWS customers adopt it. Alexandra joins the show today to share what changed her mind about IPv6 and what she sees change the minds of network engineers every day: Greater client traffic ... Read more »

As part of our ongoing series on IPv6 basics, today we cover the differences you should be aware of between ICMPv4 and ICMPv6. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is the protocol that lets you test reachability: Pings, echoes, TCP connections, etc. We explain what you need to know and why you need to know it, ... Read more »

When you chair the IPv6 Task Force for the United States Federal Government, you get a pretty good view of IPv6 implementation across the world and in every aspect of American society. That’s why we have Rob Sears on the show today. He gives us his perspective as chair of the task force charged with ... Read more »

Today Tom, Scott, and Ed discuss the exciting announcement in IPv6 world: Microsoft is expanding its CLAT support in Windows 11. This means enterprises can be even more comfortable transitioning to a IPv6-only network: Now not only do they have DNS64 and NAT64 to translate IPv4 to IPv6, but they have CLAT for any apps ... Read more »

Welcome to a crossover episode with the Packet Protector podcast! You’re already running IPv6, even if you don’t know it yet. Your remote users are using it at their homes, your printers come with it built into the kernel, your generals are using it on their mobile phones (check out our news headlines section). So ... Read more »

For years, Johannes Weber has heard network engineers around the world repeat the myth that IPv6 is more of a hassle than IPv4. So he made a list: “Why IPv6 is better than IPv4.” Don’t worry, solving global address exhaustion isn’t on it. In this episode, Johannes goes over his list with precision and passion ... Read more »

If you’ve been wondering about the double colons and letters you’re seeing in IPv6 addresses, this is the episode for you. Tom and Scott break down IPv6 addressing, starting with the basics of binary and taking you all the way through the etiquette of not using capital letters in Layer 3 addressing (we’re looking at ... Read more »

Are you on the IPv6 hit list? Does your CPE device have Recommended Simple Security Capabilities? Are your ULA prefixes unique, but still manageable? Do you have a protection method structure or are you just hoping that the IPv6 space is so vast the bad guys will never find you? Tom Coffeen and Scott Hogg ... Read more »

A round-up of IP address news to start the new year: Eric Vyncke of the IETF has created an RFC 6724 website that is an excellent time-saving tool for figuring out source destination address selection processes. AWS announces more IPv6 features and support, and adds a new charge for public IPv4 use. State actors, including ... Read more »

These days, most network devices can speak both IPv4 and IPv6. A dual-stack approach can smooth the transition from one protocol to the other because organizations can get comfortable with IPv6 without having to make a hard cutover. However, they may get so comfortable that they never fully commit. In this episode Ed, Scott, and ... Read more »

We kick off 2024 with a new limited series called “IPv6 Basics” for those listeners who might be new to this protocol or would like a refresher. Ed and Scott start with why IPv6 was needed and how it is different (and the same) as IPv4. Topics discussed include: Early drivers for IPv6 development IPv6 ... Read more »

In this episode Ed, Scott, and Tom talk about 2023 and what stood out to us as important for IPv6. Topics discussed include: Overall levels of IPv6 adoption IPv6 security in 2023 IETF efforts with IPv6 IPv6-only in the enterprise Thanks for listening! Show Links: IPv6 Deployment Status (RFC 9386), April 2023 – RFC Editor Four ... Read more »

In this episode Ed, Scott, and Tom discuss the Customer-Side Translator (CLAT) function and its role in enabling client connectivity in IPv6-only networks. Topics discussed include: Traditional use of the CLAT and 464XLAT by mobile service providers How the CLAT may be used in enterprise IPv6-only networks Where DNS64/NAT64 doesn’t work and drives the need ... Read more »

Network engineers and architects considering IPv6 can benefit from the experiences of those who have gone before them by avoiding the problems that have bedeviled other deployments. On today’s show, your hosts discuss three typical pitfalls and how to get over or around them without falling in. Those IPv6 pitfalls include: IPv4 thinking Deploying ULA ... Read more »

DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation (DHCPv6-PD) is an IETF RFC that lets one router delegate a long-lived prefix, using DHCP, to a requesting router. What’s the need for this? As the RFC notes, some applications expect stable addresses. It also notes: It is appropriate for situations in which the delegating router does not have knowledge about the ... Read more »

On today's IPv6 Buzz, we talk with Jason Gintert of the Ohio Internet Exchange about what's involved with running an IX and where IPv6 fits in to the picture. We also discuss Jason's work with the US Networking User Association, a group that brings together network engineers to share knowledge and learn from one another.

In this episode Tom and Scott explore Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), where it aligns (and doesn't) with IPv6, and what the future might hold for both technologies.

Today's IPv6 Buzz episode dives into the topic of IPv6 address formatting, the do's and don'ts of representing an IPv6 address, and what guidance RFC 5952 provides for representing these very long addresses in text.

In today's IPv6 Buzz podcast, Ed, Scott, and Tom bring Nick Buraglio back on to the show to discuss IPv6 Unique Local Addressing and the latest activity at the IETF to attempt to address both protocol and operational challenges associated with RFC 6724.

In this episode, Ed, Scott, and Tom discuss IPv6 multicast, what it is, how it differs (and doesn't) from its IPv4 counterpart, and how it's used in production.

In this episode, Ed, Scott, and Tom get technical with a discussion of IPv6 Router Advertisements (RAs), what they are, what they're for, what information they contain, new and future RA options, and what you need to know about them to help deploy IPv6 effectively.

Today's IPv6 Buzz podcast riffs on a question raised in a Reddit thread that asks why you should use IPv6 when NAT exists. Tom, Ed, and Scott provide answers, and also discuss the complicated role of NAT in both IPv6 and IPv4 networks in the past, present, and future.

In this IPv6 Buzz episode, Ed, Scott, and Tom get technical (and maybe a little controversial) with a discussion about using IPv6 link-local addresses instead of globally scoped addresses (e.g., GUA and ULA) along with when and why you might choose to do so.