IPv6 Netowrk Device Numbering BP

Sat Nov 3 06:28:37 UTC 2012

On Sat, 2012-11-03 at 00:44 -0500, Randy wrote:
> Veering off this topic's course, Is there any issue with addresses like 
> this ?
> 2001:470:1f00:1aa:abad:babe:8:beef < I have a bunch of these type 
> 'addresses' configured for my various machines.
> 
> I make it a point to come up with some sort of 'hex' speak address, what 
> are peoples opinions on this?

I tell my students to avoid them. For several reasons:

- if you need to remember an IP address, you are doing it wrong

- limiting yourself to "word space" wastes "address space". Possibly
acceptable in interface IDs, foolish in subnetting bits.

- if people expect something, they will type it, possibly instead of
what's actually needed. By making them expect words, you introduce a
source of error.

- cultural sensitivity and plain good sense suggest that many words or
combinations might not be a good idea. How do your female techs feel
about "BAD:BABE"? Only marginally better than they feel about
"B16:B00B:EEZ", probably. Your markets in India, with its 900 million
Hindus, might take a dim view of "DEAD:BEEF". Etc.

- clever addresses are guessable addresses for scanners, and highly
identifiable in data as probably attached to high-value targets

- something that is witty once is generally irritating the thousandth
time you see it. Doubly so if it wasn't very funny to begin with.

- the time you spend trying to find something "meaningful" is basically
wasted, and the time you spend will increase exponentially once you've
used all the low-hanging fruit.

All in all, using such addresses is probably a Bad Idea. 

Regards, K.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)
http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer
http://www.biplane.com.au/blog

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