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RE: IPv6 addresses really are scarce after all

2007-08-20 15:17:43
Why do I need more bits to support more subnets?

Since my IPv6 addresses are going to be assigned via DHCP and since I have not 
the slightest intention of using the MAC address as the low order bits that 
appear on the Internet proper, I don't see why I would be requiring more than 
2^32 devices in my home within the next 20 years, nor for that matter can I 
imagine how I could usefully employ more than 2^16 different subnets.

And since an ARIN initial allocation can always be extended if by chance I do 
run out I don't see the problem.

An IPv6 network is not like an IPv4 network, there are no static IP 
allocations, the network can renumber at any time.

Being parsimonious in address allocations helps to constrain the size of router 
tables. I presume that the registries will issue contiguous allocations as a 
matter of preference. Router manufacturers will therefore be able to employ 
compression techniques to reduce the size of the tables, unless of course some 
toerag has patented the obvious idea.


-----Original Message-----
From: michael(_dot_)dillon(_at_)bt(_dot_)com 
[mailto:michael(_dot_)dillon(_at_)bt(_dot_)com] 
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 6:01 AM
To: ietf(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
Subject: RE: IPv6 addresses really are scarce after all

I know the reasons behind the /48 etc but it just going to cause us 
trouble to keep it like that, we should divide the
/48 cateogry of users into two:
- people that can get the current /48 as long as they have 
more than 
ONE subnet
- people that only have ONE subnet, typical home-users (end-users, 
including your grandmother), they should get a
/56 or whatever else bigger than /60 and smaller than /48.

ARIN already has done something like that but the /56 is not 
for sites with ONE subnet because IPv6 already defines /64 
for that. Instead they define /56 as the right size for sites 
expected to need only a few subnets over the next 5 years. 
This came about due to requests for a smaller assignment size 
for consumer customer, i.e. individual homes and apartments.

During the discussion it became clear that even if the 
majority of homes today only have one subnet, this is likely 
to change as more categories of networkable device become available.

--Michael Dillon

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