A Quick Guide to IPv6
In order to better understand what IPv6 is and why it’s important to the internet’s future, we should briefly discuss what Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is and what the main problem with it is.
IPv4 addresses are comprised of a 32-bit value. This system is what the majority of the internet has been using for Internet Protocol (IP). A standard IPv4 address looks like this:
(192.x.x.xxx)
This 32-bit integer system allows for a possible combination of up to 4,294,967,296 (232) addresses. Yes, that’s a lot of addresses but we have run out of them, in fact we ran out of them in early 2011. Keep in mind that there are over 20 billion active devices connected to the internet.
The Problem:
Every single device that connects to the internet is assigned an IP address. As we mentioned earlier, there are billions of devices out there and that number keeps getting higher every day. The internet needs to be able to keep up with that incredible pace, but it can’t. IPv4 has already run out of addresses and all we can do with IPv4 addresses now is reclaim them and re-assign them.
The solution
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the next step forward in internet address assignment. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address system and that means a possible combination of up to 3.4×1038 addresses, yes, that’s 340 trillion trillion trillion! Clearly this is the format we wan’t to be using in a world that’s constantly adding more and more devices to the internet.
A common address for IPv6 is formatted like this:
(2001:0db8:85a3:0042:1000:8a2e:0370:7334).
What are some other benefits that IPv6 has?
IPv6 is far more efficient when it comes to sending data and it even offers up auto configuration capabilities that don’t exist with IPv4. The new protocol is also much more secure and offers true end-to-end connectivity, which eliminates the need for Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT helped reduce problems with the IPv4 model as it began to run out of addresses by allowing you to hide multiple private IP addresses behind one IP address. Without it, we would have had a lot more trouble with IPv4 in the past.
So when do we switch and how long will it take?
Well the transition to IPv6 is going to take quite a while but it has already begun. The world IPv6 Launch occurred on June 6, 2012 and we continue to make progress as internet providers and websites make the change.
Am I on IPv6 Already?
Chances are that you aren’t but if you want to be sure, Google can help you figure that out by heading here.
SimCity Launch A Complete Disaster
I can’t help but be amazed at the level of failure going on with with EA’s recent launch of SimCity. The game has been plagued with server issues that cause users to experience extremely long log-in times and even data loss. If you are able to get online, the game will usually end up freezing up or crashing all together. The game has basically been unplayable since it’s launch, an issue that has caused Amazon to temporarily pull the game from it’s online stores.
Many people are using the launch failure as an opportunity to talk about how bad “online-only DRM” is and not to support it. I don’t really have an issue with online gaming and normally I wouldn’t be too surprised to hear that an online game is having issues, it’s a difficult project to undertake, but EA is a veteran and they need to step up and make this work. I was initially pretty excited to hear about the SimCity Launch but this is a major disappointment.
EA has clearly recognized that they have messed up and are now offering up a free PC game download.
Here’s their statement.
The good news is that SimCity is a solid hit in all major markets. The consensus among critics and players is that this is fundamentally a great game. But this SimCity is made to be played online, and if you can’t get a stable connection, you’re NOT having a good experience. So we’re not going to rest until we’ve fixed the remaining server issues.
And to get us back in your good graces, we’re going to offer you a free PC download game from the EA portfolio. On March 18, SimCityplayers who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game.
I know that’s a little contrived – kind of like buying a present for a friend after you did something crummy. But we feel bad about what happened. We’re hoping you won’t stay mad and that we’ll be friends again when SimCity is running at 100 percent.
SimCity is a GREAT game and the people who made it are incredibly proud. Hang in there – we’ll be providing more updates throughout the weekend.
Possible Battlefield 4 Reveal
EA is creating a lot of buzz, some of it not so good, like the major issues plaguing the launch of SimCity. On the other hand EA seems to be getting ready to announce Battlefield 4 at the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC).
Invitations were sent out asking to “Save the Date”, which was marked as March 26, 2013 – 7 PM. The invitations were recently sent to IGN. We currently no nothing about Battlefield 4 or if EA has anything else it would like to share but the timing feels right for the announcement.
See into the Internet Past With The Internet Archive
The internet has come a long way over the years and that’s never more obvious then when you go back in time and look at what websites used to look like compared to today. So, how can we go back in time? We can with the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
This archive features over 240 billion web pages that date as far back as 1996. All you have to do to get started is head to the link above and then enter in a URL. The site will likely serve up the page you’ve requested along with a timeline at the top of the page. The timeline will indicate the number of captures for that particular URL and how far back you will be able to go.
If you’re interested in the hardware behind all of this then you can head here for more information.