IPv6 isn't SMTP

Wed Mar 26 03:31:04 UTC 2014

Wow, what a lot of NANOG traffic about IPv6 readiness for SMTP!

Please explain my misunderstanding on the following:

1.  IPv6 is a Routing Layer Protocol (with some associated helpers, like RA, ND, DHCP-PD, and the like). 

2.  SMTP is an Application Layer Protocol, supposedly independent of Routing and lower layers of the protocol stack. Various communities have added connection initiation requirements that sometimes impinge upon layer 3 by requiring name/address correlations in DNS and none of which depend directly on technical aspects of layer 3 addressing. [ignoring obsolescent MTA implementations]

3.  Arguing about IPv6 in the context of requirements upon SMTP connections is playing that uncomfortable game with one’s own combat boots.  And not particularly productive.

I look forward to furthering my education.

James R. Cutler
James.cutler at consultant.com
PGP keys at http://pgp.mit.edu

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