Important IPv6 Policy Issue -- Your Input Requested

Mon Nov 8 21:17:01 UTC 2004

On Mon, 8 Nov 2004, Daniel Senie wrote:
> Reason #1: Lab use. People should NEVER, EVER pick random space from public 
> space for doing experiments in the lab. Sooner or later something leaks, and 
> people get really honked off. This happened a LOT with IPv4, prior to RFC 
> 1597 and 1918. Let's not repeat the same mistake, and make sure people have a 
> specific place to get address space from for experiments.

Sure, though see #3 which can be stolen for lab usage as well.

> Reason #2: Disjoint networks: though we may think the only reason to use the 
> IP protocol suites (v4 or v6) is to connect to other places in the world, 
> there are networks which do not (or are at least not supposed to) intersect 
> with the public Internet. Address allocation policies are based on what space 
> you're going to advertise, and registries want money for the space. Networks 
> that are not connected should be able to use the IP protocol suites too.

For serious usage, I don't think the money involved is a major issues.

> Reason #3: A separate set of blocks should be set aside for use ONLY in 
> documentation. Otherwise people use whatever addresses are in the examples in 
> their router manuals and leak packets. I was seeing RIP packets claiming to 
> come from 128.185/16 the entire time in the 1990's I worked at Proteon. Of 
> course implementing BCP38 would help with the misconfigured user networks 
> that were spewing that stuff. Nonetheless, documentation examples are a 
> legitimate case for which space should be set aside.

Already done, 2001:db8::/32 is set aside for documentation.

> Reason #4: Initial configuration of equipment which lacks a console port. I 
> know, you're going to suggest the use of autoconfiguration mechanisms or 
> DHCP. That's sometimes hard, for example in the case of a broadband "router" 
> (home gateway) box that's going to be the DHCP server, print servers, and 
> other such equipment. Having some block for this (or just use some subnet of 
> the RFC-1918-like space) is a reasonable use.

Setting up local v6 addressing for this reason seems like a bad idea 
because there is no NAT and no global connectivity, so the box will 
need some automated configuration protocol in any case.

-- 
Pekka Savola                 "You each name yourselves king, yet the
Netcore Oy                    kingdom bleeds."
Systems. Networks. Security. -- George R.R. Martin: A Clash of Kings