[CWN-Summit] Fwd: [arin-ppml] Community Networks IPv6 Assignment

[David Young]

On Wed, Mar 25, 2009 at 09:04:43AM -0400, Dharma Dailey wrote:
> thoughts?

Dharma,

BTW, there are a few ways for a community network to get IPv6 addresses,
today.  Some ways are fraught with technical problems, but it seems to
me that acquiring one's IPv6 assignment "a la carte" comes with some
technical problems, too?  I don't think that I fully understand the
community network use-case that motivates the ARIN proposal.

"native" IPv6: if your ISP is willing and capable, they will assign you
    an IPv6 range and route it to you.  In this way you are "directly"
    connected to the IPv6 Internet.

    pros: this is probably the very fastest, easiest way to connect.

    cons: few American ISPs are offering native IPv6 connections
        at this time

6to4: if you have a global IPv4 number, then using 6to4 (RFC 3056) you
    can derive an IPv6 range from it and tunnel IPv6 through the IPv4
    Internet to the IPv6 Internet (through a 6to4 relay) and to other
    6to4 hosts.

    pros: You get a /48 and and peer-to-peer IPv6 connectivity for free.
          6to4 enjoys some industry support: it is in Apple's Mac OS X
          and Airport Extreme.  You can get a reverse DNS delegation for
          your 6to4 subnet.

    cons: Few 6to4 relays exist.  The relays may be, on average, distant
          and congested.

Teredo: this is similar to 6to4, but it even works behind a NAT
    firewall.

    pros: You get a /64 and peer-to-peer IPv6 connectivity for free.
          Teredo enjoys some industry support: it comes from Microsoft,

    cons: You only get a /64.  Commercial implementations of Teredo
          may be encumbered by Microsoft patents.  Relays may be, on
          average, distant and congested.  Some NAT firewalls stop
          Teredo from working.  To the best of my knowledge, reverse
          delegation is not possible.

ULA: RFC 4193, "Unique Local IPv6 Unicast Addresses," describes a method
    for an organization to assign itself a unique range of IPv6
    numbers for internal use.

    pros: You get a /48 for free.  You can connect two networks whose
          numbers are assigned according to ULA without renumbering.

    cons: ULA subnets are not routable by the global Internet, so you
          only have connectivity within your organization.  Reverse
          delegation is not available.

tunnel brokers: you route your IPv6 traffic over the IPv4 Internet to
    some firm such as sixxs.net who you may or may not pay for your IPv6
    access.

    pros: there appear to be tunnel servers in major U.S. cities as well
        as around the world.

    cons: it may cost money.  Configuration may be more hands-on than
          other methods.  The tunnel server may be distant or congested.

Dave

-- 
David Young             OJC Technologies
dyoung at ojctech.com      Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933