RE: [EXTERNAL] Re: I-D Action: draft-mishra-6man-variable-slaac-01.txt

[Vasilenko Eduard <[e-mail]>]

Hi all,
You are discussing here the very big and principal question indeed.
IPv6 has been designed with 64bit address space. Other 64bits have been abused for L2 address inserted into L3 address.
It could potentially has some advantages and disadvantages.
Example for potential advantage: Address Resolution Protocol (ND) is not needed.
Example of potential disadvantage: almost half of L3 address bits are wasted (a few bits are needed inside the link).
I personally do not see how advantages have been leveraged and disadvantages mitigated. Hence, the request to expand address space above 64bit looks valid.
But the opposite argument that "64bit is enough address space for mankind in the next century" is the valid too.
Tough dilemma.
IMHO: if There are no clear reasons - then it is better to keep it "as it is now". My opinion: I have not seen clear reasons yet to expand IPv6 address space.
Examples of some bad practices that do not have reasons behind - is not counted as "the reason".
Eduard