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| IPv6: Trillions of new net addresses now possible | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A new standard which will enable the creation of trillions of new web addresses has been enabled. | |
| Several companies switched to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday. | |
| The new system is necessary to prevent the internet running out of available addresses for new devices. | The new system is necessary to prevent the internet running out of available addresses for new devices. |
| Experts said users should not notice any difference in their web use, and new devices should be using the new system as standard. | Experts said users should not notice any difference in their web use, and new devices should be using the new system as standard. |
| Companies such as Google, Facebook and major internet service providers have enabled the new system in order to encourage the widespread adoption of the standard. | |
| The actions come as part of World IPv6 Launch Day, a special event organised by the Internet Society. | |
| IPv6 will eventually replace IPv4, which was conceived during the early days of the internet. It only allows just over four billion unique IP addresses - the sequences of numbers used to identify a device. | |
| Each internet-enabled device - such as a computer, tablet or smartphone - needs its own IP address in order to connect to the internet. | Each internet-enabled device - such as a computer, tablet or smartphone - needs its own IP address in order to connect to the internet. |
| However, due to the shortage of IP addresses, many devices - such as multiple computers in the one home - have to share addresses, which can often slow down connection speeds. | However, due to the shortage of IP addresses, many devices - such as multiple computers in the one home - have to share addresses, which can often slow down connection speeds. |
| Networking giant Cisco predicts that by 2016, 18.9 billion internet-enabled devices will be online. Switching to IPv6 means trillions of possible addresses can now be made. | Networking giant Cisco predicts that by 2016, 18.9 billion internet-enabled devices will be online. Switching to IPv6 means trillions of possible addresses can now be made. |
| Vint Cerf, early pioneer of the internet and current "chief internet evangelist" for Google, explained in a blog post: "The new, larger IPv6 expands the limit to 2^128 addresses—more than 340 trillion, trillion, trillion! Enough for essentially unlimited growth for the foreseeable future." | Vint Cerf, early pioneer of the internet and current "chief internet evangelist" for Google, explained in a blog post: "The new, larger IPv6 expands the limit to 2^128 addresses—more than 340 trillion, trillion, trillion! Enough for essentially unlimited growth for the foreseeable future." |
| 'Imperial to metric' | 'Imperial to metric' |
| To ensure a smooth transition, and to make sure devices do not stop working, both systems will work side-by-side for the next few years. | To ensure a smooth transition, and to make sure devices do not stop working, both systems will work side-by-side for the next few years. |
| "Most users shouldn't notice anything," said Leo Vegoda from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the Internet address system. | "Most users shouldn't notice anything," said Leo Vegoda from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the Internet address system. |
| "If ordinary Internet users need to know stuff, then the technology isn't right." | "If ordinary Internet users need to know stuff, then the technology isn't right." |
| Some users on IPv4-only devices may experience speed issues, he added. | Some users on IPv4-only devices may experience speed issues, he added. |
| Once the full switch to IPv6 has been made, older devices and networks may encounter problems. | Once the full switch to IPv6 has been made, older devices and networks may encounter problems. |
| "The introduction of IPv6 is the IT equivalent of the move from imperial to metric for measurement; the two can run side by side but aren't compatible with each other," explained Mark Lewis, vice president for development for telecommunications firm Interoute. | "The introduction of IPv6 is the IT equivalent of the move from imperial to metric for measurement; the two can run side by side but aren't compatible with each other," explained Mark Lewis, vice president for development for telecommunications firm Interoute. |
| Mr Lewis warned that the proliferation of internet-enabled devices presents a pressing security risk for companies. | Mr Lewis warned that the proliferation of internet-enabled devices presents a pressing security risk for companies. |
| "The introduction of IPv6 will effectively mean that every device, from the mobile phone to the vending machine could become a mole in the office," he said. | "The introduction of IPv6 will effectively mean that every device, from the mobile phone to the vending machine could become a mole in the office," he said. |
| "This puts the onus on organisations to secure and understand these new internet enabled devices that operate within the office walls." | "This puts the onus on organisations to secure and understand these new internet enabled devices that operate within the office walls." |