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I run a server and have yet to adopt IPv6. My logic is: people can type in a URL and get to my site. Am I missing out on anything by continuing to pretend that

I run a server and have yet to adopt IPv6. My logic is: people can type in a URL and get to my site. Am I missing out on anything by continuing to pretend that IPv6 doesn't exist?

patrakov 3y ago
Yes. You are missing out on information security auditor complaints. They are happy now because your server complies with one more bullet point (in particular, 3.7, "Disable IPv6") from the CIS benchmark: https://github.com/skylens/CIS/blob/master/CIS_Distribution_Independent_Linux_Benchmark_v2.0.0.pdf https://github.com/skylens/CIS/blob/master/CIS_Distribution_... /sarcasm
ianburrell 3y ago
The big reason to support IPv6 to learn about it and get ahead of the curve. If your hosting provider support IPv6, it should be easy to add IPv6 address to server and DNS. You will also need to check your software doesn't assume IPv4 addresses. With single server, there aren't the networking advantages to using IPv6 internally.
chaz6 3y ago
As new ISP's and enterprises start up who cannot obtain legacy IPv4 address space, there are going to be more and more people who will not be able to access an IPv4-only resource without using some form of tunnel.
- turnsout 3y ago
  If you can’t access IPv4, I don’t think you’re going to make it as an ISP
  - orangeboats 3y ago
    Some ISPs are now providing "IPv4 as a service", i.e. they are IPv6-only throughout their entire network infra and can easily pull the plug on IPv4. "When" is the only remaining question.
    - turnsout 3y ago
      Sounds like an interesting business model—I guess we’ll see if they survive.
      - orangeboats 3y ago
        T-Mobile seems to be alive and well ;)
        turnsout 3y ago
        Wasn’t aware that T-Mobile is charging for access to IPv4… is there a link to more info about this surprising turn of events?
        orangeboats 3y ago
        You seem to assume IPv4aaS implies charging for access to IPv4. That's not the case here. (...And where did you get the impression?) The term is hinging more on the on-demand aspect of "X as a Service". To use an analogy, IPv4 was like the harddrive of a computer. Removing it rendered the computer inoperable. But nowadays some ISPs are moving towards an IPv6-only core (much like how modern PCs are moving towards solid-state drivers) and IPv4, becoming IPv4aaS, (like the HDD becoming an external HDD) is no longer an integral part of the ISP network. IPv4aaS simply means that: IPv4 is now removable. We haven't removed IPv4 because right now, the HDD still contains a lot of stuffs so although unplugging it does not render the computer inoperable, it'll still create a giant headache. That's the on-demand part of IPv4aaS. Doesn't mean it'll be plugged in forever, and don't expect it to be when half of the Internet is already on this analogical SSD.
        turnsout 3y ago
        So in answer to my original question, the tl;dr is that I can continue to pretend that IPv6 doesn’t exist. I’ve been hearing that I need to prepare for IPv6 for the past 20 years, and the benefits are always exceptionally vague or don’t apply to me. I’ll check back in a few years from now.

I run a server and have yet to adopt IPv6. My logic is: people can type in a URL and get to my site. Am I missing out on anything by continuing to pretend that IPv6 doesn't exist?

patrakov 3y ago

Yes. You are missing out on information security auditor complaints. They are happy now because your server complies with one more bullet point (in particular, 3.7, "Disable IPv6") from the CIS benchmark: https://github.com/skylens/CIS/blob/master/CIS_Distribution_Independent_Linux_Benchmark_v2.0.0.pdf https://github.com/skylens/CIS/blob/master/CIS_Distribution_... /sarcasm

ianburrell 3y ago

The big reason to support IPv6 to learn about it and get ahead of the curve. If your hosting provider support IPv6, it should be easy to add IPv6 address to server and DNS. You will also need to check your software doesn't assume IPv4 addresses. With single server, there aren't the networking advantages to using IPv6 internally.

chaz6 3y ago

As new ISP's and enterprises start up who cannot obtain legacy IPv4 address space, there are going to be more and more people who will not be able to access an IPv4-only resource without using some form of tunnel.

turnsout 3y ago
If you can’t access IPv4, I don’t think you’re going to make it as an ISP
- orangeboats 3y ago
  Some ISPs are now providing "IPv4 as a service", i.e. they are IPv6-only throughout their entire network infra and can easily pull the plug on IPv4. "When" is the only remaining question.
  - turnsout 3y ago
    Sounds like an interesting business model—I guess we’ll see if they survive.
    - orangeboats 3y ago
      T-Mobile seems to be alive and well ;)
      - turnsout 3y ago
        Wasn’t aware that T-Mobile is charging for access to IPv4… is there a link to more info about this surprising turn of events?
        orangeboats 3y ago
        You seem to assume IPv4aaS implies charging for access to IPv4. That's not the case here. (...And where did you get the impression?) The term is hinging more on the on-demand aspect of "X as a Service". To use an analogy, IPv4 was like the harddrive of a computer. Removing it rendered the computer inoperable. But nowadays some ISPs are moving towards an IPv6-only core (much like how modern PCs are moving towards solid-state drivers) and IPv4, becoming IPv4aaS, (like the HDD becoming an external HDD) is no longer an integral part of the ISP network. IPv4aaS simply means that: IPv4 is now removable. We haven't removed IPv4 because right now, the HDD still contains a lot of stuffs so although unplugging it does not render the computer inoperable, it'll still create a giant headache. That's the on-demand part of IPv4aaS. Doesn't mean it'll be plugged in forever, and don't expect it to be when half of the Internet is already on this analogical SSD.
        turnsout 3y ago
        So in answer to my original question, the tl;dr is that I can continue to pretend that IPv6 doesn’t exist. I’ve been hearing that I need to prepare for IPv6 for the past 20 years, and the benefits are always exceptionally vague or don’t apply to me. I’ll check back in a few years from now.