IPv6 Question

[Steve Deering]

At 6:09 PM -0700 5/18/98, David Fries wrote:
> So, when/if ipv6 completely replaces ipv4 will my local ISP give me more
> than 1 ip address?

It is the intent that ISPs should assign 2^80 (!) addresses (16-bit SLA field
plus 64-bit interface ID field) to *each* of their customers, *including*
residential customers.  IPv6 is designed to support the existence of many
subnets within a home, with plug-and-play, stateless address allocation for
many, many devices (appliances, TV & stereo components, sensors and
actuators of many kinds, children and pets,...)

Now, there may well be ISPs who refuse to go along with that intent, but
they will not be able to use lack of address space as a reason.  And it
would be a good reason to look for a different ISP.

> Some of the ISPs don't allocate a static ip address just so customers can't
> use the dialup as a server and only pay as a regular user.

Well that's a beaut!  Anyway, I hope and expect that the distortions of
the "dial-up" model will eventually go away, as the newer "Always On"
access technologies (cable, xDSL, whatever) catch on.  One of the things
that will help them catch on will be marketing promises of full-time
Internet connectivity and more stable addresses, which are clearly features
that appeal to customers.

> It seems to me that having a set of ip address that are defined to not be
> valid internet address so everyone knows they are free to use them on local
> computers is necessary no matter how big your address space is.

IPv6 does have lots of those kinds of addresses too (the site-local
addresses).

Steve