Re: IP4 Space

[Robert Brockway <robert () timetraveller org>]

On Sat, 6 Mar 2010, Shon Elliott wrote:

> I would love to move to IPv6. However, the IPv6 addressing, I have to 
> say, is really tough to remember and understand for most people. Where

Hi Shon.  But we have a system in place which allows non-technical people 
to ignore IP addresses entirely.

Up to this point the ease of remembering IPv4 addresses has allowed their 
use to leak out in to the user community.  It is quite common today for 
users to ssh to servers by IP address in many organisations.  I consider 
this an historical accident.

When setting up or upgrading corporate networks (even for small companies) 
I use split-view DNS.  I like to point out that once IPv6 is mainstream no 
one is going to remember IP addresses ever again :)

> is a four number dotted quad was easy to remember, an IPv6 address.. not 
> so much. I wished they had made that a little easier when they were 
> drafting up the protocol specs.

I don't believe making it easier for humans to remember or understand IP 
addresses would have been a good design criteria.  IP addresses are 
principally designed for computers to understand.  We humans have a 
parrallel structure of names that we can use.

In any case humans got a break with the :: notation in IPv6 :)

> basically, you need technical knowledge to even understand how the IP 
> address is split up. I wished ARIN would waive the fee for service

That's actually still true in IPv4.  A knowledgeable user may be able to 
ping an IP address but few of them will understand the concept of a 
subnet.

Cheers,

Rob

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