IPv6 support on Virgin media

[dgcarter]

Does anyone know whether (and if so when) Virgin plan to implement IPv6 on its network?

[gilgongo]

What advantages does IPv6 have over IPv4 for the domestic broadband user? 

[Optimist1]

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@gilgongo wrote:

What advantages does IPv6 have over IPv4 for the domestic broadband user?

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Without IPv6 the internet will be forced to stop growing as there will be insufficient IPv4 addresses.  Just as a couple of decades ago the UK's phone numbering system had to be expanded.

[Morgaine]

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@gilgongo wrote:

What advantages does IPv6 have over IPv4 for the domestic broadband user? 

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Domestic broadband users come in two varieties, non-technical and technical, and the answer differs a bit for the two groups.  I'll assume that your question referred to the average non-technical broadband end user.  It's a good question to ask.  Here's a shortlist of benefits that IPv6 would bring to non-technical users, deliberately leaving out the technical reasons for them since those are of no interest to end users.  (The technical explanations are available in the technical literature such as RFCs.)

Benefits of IPv6 for non-technical END USERS of IP networking, starting with Optimist1's point:

1. Internet expansion will continue despite IPv4 addresses running out.
2. All protocols can work cleanly over IPv6, unlike the breakage on IPv4.
3. IPv6 "just works" without user setup, has great autoconfiguration.
4. As many public IP addresses as you want for IoT or other devices on IPv6.
5. Safer because IP-level security is built into IPv6 as standard, not optional.
6. Adding IPv6 lets you see the whole Internet, not just the IPv4 part.
7. New quality of service features for stutter-free video or gaming.
8. Faster networking by design for a better all-round user experience.

Each of these benefits has a technical reason for which the corresponding improvements were added to IPv6 by design to improve on IPv4. The above benefits are available to everyone, not just to IPv6-aware experts, and non-technical users don't need to understand the details to enjoy the benefits.

I should point out that that's not the end of the list by any means, but it requires mention of a couple of technical details to understand why there are many more benefits for end users in store.  The key to it is the better reachability and protocol transparency of IPv6, which means that a whole new area of protocols and applications will arise which can only work effectively on IPv6.  Networking people know this instinctively, but it's hard to get across to those who lack the necessary background.  Nevertheless, they will benefit immeasureably, as it'll bring a quantum leap in the power of end-user Internet applications.

[rudi]

Here to also request that VM finally adds IPv6 support. Alternative providers already support it (such as BT) and providers such as Unitymedia only support IPv4 via DS-LITE tunnels!

[Optimist1]

This is interesting...

http://scpro.streamuk.com/uk/player/Default.aspx?wid=40805&ptid=1066&t=0

[Morgaine]

@Optimist1:
No flash here, so I can't see that video. What's the gist of it?

Hopefully it's an update over their past IPv6 Council presentations, such as:

2014 - http://www.ipv6.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/VM-IPv6-council-presentation.pdf
2015 - http://www.ipv6.org.uk/2015/10/06/ipv6-council-meeting-september-2015/

Perhaps the new video will get posted to Youtube.

[MUD_Wizard]

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@Optimist1 wrote:

This is interesting...

http://scpro.streamuk.com/uk/player/Default.aspx?wid=40805&ptid=1066&t=0

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That's the Oct 2014 1st UK IPv6 Council meeting, with info that's a couple of years out of date.

[Morgaine]

@MUD_Wizard: Pity about that. 😞

At the opposite end of the spectrum to VM, the latest IPv6 Council Roundtable in Jun 2016 featured this very interesting set of slides from Sky UK:

• "Sky IPv6 Completion", Ian Dickinson, Sky UK
• http://www.ipv6.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/UK-IPv6-Council-Sky-Dickinson-20160630.pdf

Sky's mass rollout of IPv6 in March 2016 is very impressive, with 4.4 million dual-stack subscriber lines apparently deployed.  Without a shadow of doubt this puts them in first place among the Big Three.  If BT delivers on their plans for the end of the year, they'll be a clear second.  There is plenty of public evidence that they are ready to enable it on BT Infinity already, end users reporting that IPv6 appeared without any announcement and just worked for them all over the country.

The third horse isn't on the final straight yet.  In fact, it doesn't appear to be on the racetrack at all.

[Optimist1]

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@Morgaine wrote:
@Optimist1:
No flash here, so I can't see that video. What's the gist of it?

Hopefully it's an update over their past IPv6 Council presentations, such as:

2014 - http://www.ipv6.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/VM-IPv6-council-presentation.pdf
2015 - http://www.ipv6.org.uk/2015/10/06/ipv6-council-meeting-september-2015/

Perhaps the new video will get posted to Youtube.

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It was a video of the 2014 presentation as in the first link above.  At the end the idea of an all-IPv6 network was discussed, which would be advantageous for ISPs as costs would fall dramatically.

Unfortunately, when I try to start the 2015 one in the 2nd link above the video won't load!  The wonders of modern tech...

[ravenstar68]

The audio on the 2015 video was atrocious.

It was also extremely embarrassing.  No definitive dates just "looking at next year"  Comments on how LG was rolling out IPv6 in the Netherlands, Ireland etc and the experience was good.  Comments on client applications still using IPv4.  But nothing definitive about their plans.

Ravenstar68