6RD

[gillins]

How about a 6rd test.

I tried to find a way to do this myself but due to the way 6rd maps the v4 address you need a /32 of v6 space or limit the range of v4 address that can use the service.

[allen4names]

I think that 6RD testing would require the testers to be on site. Definitely something that would have to be paid for.

[gillins]

Why do think it would require some one to be on site?  6rd is just 6to4 tunneling with a private v6 prefix.

[nboullis]

I'm not sure I can understand how you would implement a 6rd test, but as I understand it would require the testee to have an IPv4 connectivity with a public address, which I don't think should be required for some IPv6 certification...

[gillins]

Well pretty much everyone using the he.net service is using it via V4.  I know I have to use a tunnel to reach the V6 world.  My tunnel is just statically configured as apposed to 6rd or 6to4 where the tunnel is more dynamic with your v4 address embedded into your tunnel address.

[nboullis]

Uh?

I feel confused... Do you mean that he.net should implement a 6rd test (where the testee has to implement a 6rd router) or that he.net should offer a 6rd service that one might use instead of a static tunnel?

[gillins]

Either or 6rd as connection option or 6rd as a step in process either way they both promote the continued move towards an IPV6 world.

[nboullis]

As for 6rd as a connection option, I guess it's up to he.net to provide it or not. But as a user, I much prefer a static tunnel. (YMMV)

As for a 6rd test in the certification process, sorry but I think it's nonsensical as it requires the testee to have an IPv4 connectivity with a public address. It may be different in other part of the world, but in France some ISPs already provide their clients with RFC1918 IPv4 addresses.

[jimb]

6RD only makes sense in a single routing domain.  6RD is simply 6to4 using ones own IPv6 space instead of the global 6to4 range (2002::/16) to form 6RD IPv6 addresses.

So it makes sense for an ISP who wants to provide IPv6 access to its users while it upgrades its infrastructure to IPv6 capability, or a corporate entity, etc. 

But it doesn't make sense for a tunnel provider like HE, where all its users are spread all over the globe.  They'd have to get a a huge allocation of IPv6 space to represent the entire IPv4 internet, route it to a central point, etc. 

I'm also not sure how HE could provide a test for a user's implementation of 6RD, since the IPv6 traffic would just come from an IPv6 range allocated by the user, and the addresses would look like any other IPv6 traffic.  Plus, setting up 6RD at an ISP or enterprise is a little beyond the scope of what HE is doing the cert thing for, which is really fairly basic IPv6 networking stuff.

[gillins]

While it was designed for a single entity to use so they did not have to rely on 6to4 relays that they do not have control over in can very easily be used for the whole internet.  The comment about needing a huge allocation of ipv6 to represent the ipv4 internet just needs to be put into context.  Current ipv4 address are only 32 bit long so it is possible to represent the entire ipv4 internet in a /32.  Given 32 bits assigned by registry + 32 bit from you ipv4 address gives you a /64 for every ipv4 address in the world or 18.4 Quintillion address for each ipv4 address.

While it would require someone like HE to run the service just because I as a end user can not justify a /32 from the registry infact HE all ready has a /32 assigned and could easily justify another /32 simply by indicating that it would be used for a 6rd service.

Again thinking that requiring IPV4 to complete the certification is a bit short sided.  While the HE tests only require that you have IPV6 connectivity it does not specify how you get it.  With that said I would like to see a list of people who completed the certification with out getting a tunnel from HE.  Because if you got a tunnel from HE to complete you test you are using IPv4 so what does it matter if the tunnel is nailed up like a 6in4 tunnel or more dynamic like 6rd,  they both allow you to complete the certification and both promote the use of IPV6.

So how about that lets find out how many people out there have the sage certification and have completed it from a prefix other then 2001:470::/32

[jimb]

A /32 is a large chunk of address space to dedicate to 6RD.  While HE could probably get a few more /32s, that's an "ISP size" allocation, and using an entire /32 for 6RD seems a bit silly.  For internet users to use it, they'd basically have to do nearly everything they'd have to do to configure a 6in4 tunnel, with the only additional task being the determination of ones 6RD address.  So there wouldn't be a whole lot of value in that as a test, IMHO.

It'd probably make more sense to set up a 6to4 test that could be identified by HE based on the source IPv6 one is coming from.  Then you could get points for learning how to use 6to4.  Or, as you suggest, one which tests addresses outside HE's /32.  But you couldn't really easily tell whether that was via 6RD, or just native IPv6, or whatever.

[ferry1]

nice topic)