Subj : IPv6/4 indicator
To   : Michiel van der Vlist
From : Bj”rn Felten
Date : Thu Jun 23 2011 12:43:56

 MvdV> Pity. It looked like a good idea....

   Indeed it did. I still keep an eye on it (and other similar projects), hoping it will evolve to something really useful.

 MvdV> A linksys with DD-WRT *is* a dedicated real computer. As I found out to
 MvdV> my surprise...

   I knew it was running linux, but it's still a dedicated system, that's still not a "real" computer -- one with I/O (keyboard, display), mass storage and so on.

   It may not be as limited as my first design, based on 6802 -- with 128 byte RAM and an EPROM with 32Mb -- but it's still a dedicated system.

   But let's not argue about that, it will not let us move on in our attempts to achieve true IPv6 functionality.  8-)

 MvdV> I did not mean that you should go back and stay there. What I meant is
 MvdV> go back to before NAt and take tho other side of the fork in the road.
 MvdV> The road that does not have the sign "to NAT" on it. And move on from
 MvdV> there.

   Don't take it so serious, I just wanted you to know that I managed network systems even before Windows for workgroups arrived, with it's very experimental TCP/IP gizmo's.

 MvdV> I see the same in the transition to IPv6.

   This is where *I* see exactly the same happening once again. "Why should we install this TCP/IP gizmo's, our NetBIOS LAN works perfectly OK."

   OK, I earned a lot of money just by converting my client's computer systems from NetBEUI to TCP/IP, but I'm far to old to go the same path once again with the IPv4 to IPv6 transition.

 MvdV> With stateless autoconfiguration you don't give the out. The systems
 MvdV> configure themselves.

   That's just it. They *do not* auto-configure themselves, they configure themselves according to a scheme that I have no control over.

   Sure enough all the connected computers get their IPv6 addresses automatically, but who keeps track of this? How do I, the network administrator, control what systems get what addresses, and how do I tell the outside world what address they will get when they e.g. try to query http:felten.yi.org:8000 via IPv6?

 MvdV> If there is a router that sends out router advertisements

   Of course. But how does this router know what actual server should respond to a http, ftp, news, DNS, binkp, or whatever request? Surely it should be the network administrator that should set the proper map up, not some "auto" function?

 MvdV> a unique global address will also be
 MvdV> configured when a system is hooked up to the LAN.

   I must admit I'm probably far too old to understand all this new stuff. Surely I cannot just set up a Radio Station (like my http://felten.yi.org:8000) and then assume that it will automatically get a proper IPv6 address?

 MvdV> http://tinyurl.com/8xzgl9

   Sigh! Another two hour read. Just what I needed now that we in Sweden are about to celebrate our true National Holiday -- Midsummer!

 MvdV> Customers? with your age.? ;-)

   Well, a guy still has to earn a living, doesn't he? :)

 BF>> More often than not those settings are even disabled.

 MvdV> You mean IPv6 is diabled?

   No, I mean that almost the entire Control Panel is disabled. Quite common here -- it prevents the users from changing their employer supplied computer.

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