Google, Facebook, Yahoo and several networking companies will on Wednesday carry out a massive test of IPv6, the new version of the internet protocol that allows 340 trillion trillion trillion IP addresses, rather than the 4.3 billion IP addresses possible with IPv4.
IPv6 will be needed as the world's stock of IPv4 addresses runs out and as billions of new devices — ranging from handsets to lightbulbs — require their own IP addresses. However, the switchover also requires a lot of testing, which is why Google and the other companies in the Internet Society are carrying out the 24-hour 'test flight' of making their services available over IPv6.
"In all likelihood, you won't even notice the test," Google network engineer and 'IPv6 samurai' Lorenzo Colitti said in a blog post on Monday. "The vast majority (99.95 percent) of people will be able to access services without interruption: either they'll connect over IPv6, or their systems will successfully fall back to IPv4."
With China coming into play, that may not be enough...
weeks
5:52 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)
I wonder how they decided that was enough. Someone said only 340 trillion? And so...
Sgt_Kickaxe
5:56 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)
340 trillion trillion trillion
With only 7 billion people on the planet there's enough to give you, and every single item you own, it's own tracking device with unique ip.
Sickening
Staffa
6:20 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)
Sickening
you can say that again
danielro
6:55 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)
This is the future.
LifeinAsia
7:07 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)
With China coming into play, that may not be enough...
If they continue to be stuck behind the Great Firewall, they'd still only have one "public" IP. :)
Sickening
No, sickening would be the day when IP6 runs out of addresses!
tonynoriega
8:45 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)
"Ok..and to finalize this application can I please have your social secur....sorry, your IPV6 address please sir?"
rj87uk
10:43 am on Jun 8, 2011 (gmt 0)
Sickening
I look forward to a more technology advanced world, I think it will be interesting.
Leosghost
11:45 am on Jun 8, 2011 (gmt 0)
You are obviously not Chinese ;-) rj87uk
wruppert
3:11 pm on Jun 8, 2011 (gmt 0)
I'm working on my first install of Win 7, and the network connection has slowed to a crawl. It was OK before today. Could this be an IPv6 issue?
engine
4:16 pm on Jun 8, 2011 (gmt 0)
So far, i've seen no indication things are any different from yesterday. I guess there's still time for things to break.
engine
4:58 pm on Jun 8, 2011 (gmt 0)
There was a report that google appeared to be down [washingtonpost.com] for a short while, however, as they are the participants in the IPv6 day, we shouldn't be surprised.
