Re: Deprecating IPv6 (Re: draft-bourbaki-6man-classless-ipv6-00)

[Simon Hobson <[e-mail]>]

Mark Andrews <[e-mail]> wrote:

>> My very limited experience with ISP provided IPv6 is that so far, what
>> I've seen is sensible allocations (eg a /56 for a home user). If the
>> majority do the right thing, then the exceptions can stand out and get a
>> reputation for "broken". I know in the real world there will be cases
>> where there's an effective monopoly (for some group of users) allowing
>> the ISP to do what they want, but that's not an excuse to just throw in
>> the towel and give the rest carte blanch.
> 
> And 256 prefixes very quickly become too few as we develop new
> technologies to take advantage that you can get prefixes easily.
> ISP's have been short sighted here.  The IETF started out saying
> /48 to give every site enough prefixes that they shouldn't have to
> go back and get more except in exceptional circumstances.

I disagree - at least for home users.
Most home users simply unpack the ISP router, plug it in, and connect their devices to it.
They plug in their webcams https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/08/whitebox_webcam_scatters_vulnerabilities_through_multiple_oems/
plug in their "smart" lightbulbs https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/27/osram_smart_lightbulbs/
plug in their "smart" doorbell & locks https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/12/ring_doorbell_reveals_wifi_credentials/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/08/using_a_smart_bluetooth_lock_to_protect_your_valuables_youre_an_idiot/
connect their kids toys http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/19/hello_barbie/ and their own "toys" http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/07/your_sec_toy_is_spying_on_you_hackers_crack_our_plastic_pals/

I could go on (kettles, fridges, bathroom scales, ... all with reported security flaws), but I think you get the idea !
All of this will be on one network, one subnet/prefix. The majority of users (some small rounding error below 100%) will have no idea at all about networking, they won't have any clue about setting up multiple networks - and the way much of the kit works, it won't work anyway if the device isn't on the same network/subnet/prefix and the users phone/tablet.

I recall a few years ago visiting my alma mater and found that ethernet ports had appeared in the rooms. When I plugged into one, I could see all the security cameras etc were on the same segment and even the same subnet ! If a university college can't get simple things like this right, what makes you think home users will do any better ?

As I sit here (as part of that rounding error of users), to be frank, I am struggling to think what I could (practically) use 10 separate networks for, let alone 100 or 200 or 256 !

> Note: the rule always has been "if you don't have enough prefixes
> ask your ISP for more".

At which point you come up against the technically illiterate beancounters running (some of) the ISPs who figure that if you want more IPs then you must be a customer worthy of paying them more. The same ones who, in the IPv4 world want a significant amount extra just to have a single fixed IP rather than a dynamic one, and even more if you want more than one address.