IPv4 to IPv6...

[James Knott]

Lennart Sorensen wrote:
> No it doesn't.  It connects to the ADSL modem using ethernet, and the
> ethernet frames are sent to the ISP.  There is no IP of any kind involved
> in moving PPP frames to the ISP.  PPP runs on layer2 frames, not layer3.
>    

Perhaps I'm being overly economical with words.  When you connect via 
ADSL you are using IP over ethernet.  In my previous note, the ethernet 
was assumed.  Now, that IP gets stuffed into PPPoE to the ISP.  This 
might be described as layer 3 on layer 2 on layer 2, with PPPoE being 
the extra layer 2.
> PPPoE goes from the router to the ISP.  Between the router and the ISP
> it is just ethernet (temporarily transported over ATM over DSL by the
> ADSL modem).  The modem knows nothing about PPP or IP unless it happens
> to be a router as well.
>
> So no, the modem is NOT configured for IPv4 because it doesn't even know
> what IP is.
>    
Perhaps I should have said ADSL service.  Right now, with most ISPs 
you'd have a tough time passing IPv6 traffic, because all the equipment 
is not configured to handle it.  If Teksavvy had their own DSLAMs in the 
Bell CO, then it would be easier for them to provide IPv6 support 
(they'd also avoid Bell throttling), as PPP, including PPPoE will 
support almost any packet based protocol.  The big problem is how the 
various devices are configured.  When you have an ADSL connection, the 
equipment commonly used is expecting IPv4 and nothing else.  Will the 
basic ADSL modem, as provided by Bell etc., support multiple protocols?  
Or will it filter out those other protocols? (I realize D.H.R. has a 
basic ethernet ADSL modem)  What about the equipment back at the C.O.?  
The DSLAM shelves I've worked with supported only IPv4 (It's been about 
5 years since I've worked on a DSLAM in a C.O., but I have worked on 
others, in corporate networks more recently.  I have also worked with 
SHDSL gear, TSUs and short haul microwave that didn't care, as they were 
were configured as an ethernet bridge.).  Hopefully equipment suppliers 
are starting to take the hint, as I've seen some consumer level routers 
that now support IPv6, as does Cisco gear.  Last time I was talking to 
an Adtran engineer, it was still "in development" with no target dates.  
On the cable modem side, DOCSIS 3 supports IPv6 as part of the standard 
and there's an update for DOCSIS 2.  Will Rogers provide an update for 
my modem?  Or will I have to buy a new one?

However, even when the equipment supports IPv6, the ISPs and carriers 
also have to get off their butts.  A few months ago, I was talking to a 
hosting site manager for a major ISP/telecom and he said they had no 
plans for IPv6.  Teksavvy appears to be an exception to this and I 
believe Telus is also working on setting up IPv6 support.

--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists