nanog mailing list archives

Re: IPv6 fc00::/7 — Unique local addresses


From: Ray Soucy <rps () maine edu>
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 08:21:54 -0400

I guess my point is that as soon as you introduced the human element
into ULA with no accountability, it became a lost cause.  People can't
be trusted to respect the RFC once they know it's non-routed address
space, and I suspect most won't.  Just like countless vendors still
use 1.1.1.1 as a baked-in management address even though there was
never a time when that was allowed.  It was a nice idea, but as soon
as you let people "choose" the "random" number, well... there you go.
At least if you stay within the FD space we have a chance at using FC
correctly.

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 7:47 AM, Owen DeLong <owen () delong com> wrote:

On Oct 21, 2010, at 4:33 AM, Ray Soucy wrote:

For for all intents and purposes if you're looking for RFC1918 style
space in IPv6 you should consider the block FD00::/8 not FC00::/7 as
the FC00::/8 space is reserved in ULA for assignment by a central
authority (who knows why, but with that much address space nobody
really cares).

People may throw a fit at this, but as far as I'm concerned FD00::/8
will never leave the edge of our network (we null route ULA space
before it can leak out, just like you would with RFC1918 space).  So
you can pretty much use it has you see fit.  If you want to keep your
ULA space short there is nothing stopping you from using something
like FD00::1 as a valid address.

I have no problem with that. My concern is that people will use FD00::/8
space in OTHER ways, and, since it has potential uniqueness if you
follow the RFC, it has greater potential for undesired success than
RFC-1918.

You could embed your ASN into it or some other identifier if you want
to avoid conflicts with other non-routed address space which should
never enter or leave your network from the outside, but I'm just not
seeing the practical application for this.

That only avoids conflicts if everyone within the networks to which
you may communicate uses the same system of uniqueness.
Think beyond today to the future possibility of M&A of other companies
also using ULA, etc.

Owen

On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 5:48 PM, Jeroen van Aart <jeroen () mompl net> wrote:
<IPv6 newbie>

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6_address#Special_addresses an
fc00::/7 address includes a 40-bit pseudo random number:

"fc00::/7 — Unique local addresses (ULA's) are intended for local
communication. They are routable only within a set of cooperating sites
(analogous to the private address ranges 10/8, 172.16/12, and 192.168/16 of
IPv4).[12] The addresses include a 40-bit pseudorandom number in the routing
prefix intended to minimize the risk of conflicts if sites merge or packets
are misrouted into the Internet. Despite the restricted, local usage of
these addresses, their address scope is global, i.e. they are expected to be
globally unique."

I am trying to set up a local IPv6 network and am curious why all the
examples I come accross do not seem to use the 40-bit pseudorandom number?
What should I do? Use something like fd00::1234, or incorporate something
like the interface's MAC address into the address? It'd make the address
quite unreadable though.

Thanks,
Jeroen

--
http://goldmark.org/jeff/stupid-disclaimers/
http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/faq/plural-of-virus.html





--
Ray Soucy

Epic Communications Specialist

Phone: +1 (207) 561-3526

Networkmaine, a Unit of the University of Maine System
http://www.networkmaine.net/





-- 
Ray Soucy

Epic Communications Specialist

Phone: +1 (207) 561-3526

Networkmaine, a Unit of the University of Maine System
http://www.networkmaine.net/


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