Greg Minshall wrote:
absolutely. i was very happy when we moved from the previous world to the
(more or less pure) IP world.
i will be very happy when we move from the NAT world to the (more or less
pure) IPv6 world.
Greg (who wrote email gateways in a past life)
I think that it is a truism that homogeneous networks are simpler. However,
if this becomes "the" reason not to use heteregenous networks (and NATs), then
we are denying the usefulness of local solutions to local problems. We are also
restraing locally controlled growth and optimizations.
Since it is also a truism that a local maximum (or, minimum) does not have to
be a global maximum (or, minimum), then we see that a homogeneous network
must not be the best global solution either.
In other words, that is why the Net never was and resists being be a homogeneous
network. It would be a less efficient design. Thus, we need to be able to cope
with
diversity, not try to iron it out. The NAT ugly duckling, the misfit to some,
may well
be a harbinger.
Cheers,
Ed Gerck