IPv6 is very much in vogue at the moment. test-ipv6.com is a useful site you can visit that tells you how prepared you/your connection/your ISP are for IPv6.
I’ve run some tests on two connections for you to compare the results. One is IPv4 only and the other dual stack IPv4/IPv6. The difference is self explanatory.
The site itself will tell you that the most important test is the Dual Stack DNS. If this one fails or takes too long then you will have problems once people start rolling out IPv6 only sites. Clicking on each image will bring up a larger version. Both sets of tests come from Timico connections – the one on the left is dual stack and the other IPv4 only. Also click on the header of this posts if you want to see more of the successful test results.
6 replies on “testing your endpoint for ipv6 readiness”
I’m a ’10/10 – 0/10′ connection at the moment.
This is using my standard old router (Thomson st585v6) on a normal legacy ADSL connection – i.e. IPv4
I got somewhat confused when my ISP said a long way back that they were all IPv6’d up!
Then recently started saying they were making changes to their ‘resolvers’ for IPv6.
I assumed my results may change but after querying this the changes were only for those on IPv6 connections/kit. So perhaps they weren’t quite as ready as they had previously shouted!
Serves my right for not being with Tref and Timico 🙂
So does this all mean that I can’t reach sites such as http://ipv6.google.com/ until I change my router for an IPv6 capable one (or have firmware/hack with current kit) ?
Tref you will remember I’ve asked before about users having to get IPv6 routers and the answer was no one needs to worry if their ISP has done their work. Can you explain how this fits in with relation to the two different test-ipv6 results? i.e. Will pure IPv6 sites be unavailable to users without the correct kit even if their provider is up to date? Will there be some providers out there that won’t even manage ’10/10 – 0/10′ at the moment?
Sorry to be so thick!
HmmmUK
I’ve repeated your questions here with some answers:
Q I’m a ’10/10 – 0/10′ connection at the moment. This is using my standard old router (Thomson st585v6) on a normal legacy ADSL connection – i.e. IPv4. I got somewhat confused when my ISP said a long way back that they were all IPv6′d up!
A Most likely their backbone, and external connectivity, was enable but not their customer attachment.
Q Then recently started saying they were making changes to their ‘resolvers’ for IPv6.
I assumed my results may change but after querying this the changes were only for those on IPv6 connections/kit. So perhaps they weren’t quite as ready as they had previously shouted!
A This sounds like work on enabling v6 DNS services, one of the first steps in bringing connectivity to end users.
Q Serves my right for not being with Tref and Timico . So does this all mean that I can’t reach sites such as http://ipv6.google.com/ until I change my router for an IPv6 capable one (or have firmware/hack with current kit) ?
A Correct if the results are 0/10 for IPv6 then the user doesn’t have any v6 connectivity from their respective upstream provider i.e their DSL is not enabled for whatever reason, or the CPE does not support to the protocol.
Q Tref you will remember I’ve asked before about users having to get IPv6 routers and the answer was no one needs to worry if their ISP has done their work. Can you explain how this fits in with relation to the two different test-ipv6 results? i.e. Will pure IPv6 sites be unavailable to users without the correct kit even if their provider is up to date?
A This is pretty much correct, if the provider is say 10/10 regards connectivity, DNS etc but the customer doesn’t have IPv6 enabled on their attachment whether it be DSL or another service the end user will be unable to reach native v6 endpoints.
For end-to-end connectivity the customer will require v6 capable CPE equipment and IPv6 enabled on the service. The router mentioned above (Thomson st585v6) does not support v6 currently, we have tested an early build of Thomson v6 support, first impressions were not optimal.
As it stands Cisco routers are the only real option for those providers such as Timico that have customer attachment enabled for IPv6.
Q Will there be some providers out there that won’t even manage ’10/10 – 0/10′ at the moment?
A If a customer gets results less than 10/10 for IPv4 then I’d have to guess there are issues with the connectivity/service/configuration of that customers service.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Tref , very helpful 🙂
In your (many!) IPv6 radio interviews you summarised by saying as long as the ISP sorts things out the end user doesn’t need to worry, for now. But at what point will it become a problem for ‘normal’ people reaching pure IPv6 sites? Is it just until the IPv4 addresses are are used up?
It still sounds to me as if everyone will have to upgrade to IPv6 routers once parts of the interweb start appearing on IPv6 only. But as you say, there only only a small handful of routers out there.
PS. Have I missed the link to your ‘bringonipv6’ video?
Thanks again – top communicator! 🙂
PPS Don’t forget to ‘BST’ the time of your server 😉
I suspect that it is line with USA clock changes & they haven’t yet moved to daylight savings.
The problem, if there is going to be one will happen gradually.
As far as the vid goes the production team is still working on it but the song is viewable here http://www.trefor.net/2011/03/28/the-day-the-routers-died-official-video-ipv6/