We're going to need IPv6 support, with IPv4 almost exhausted

The internet is really running out of IPv4 space now:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/15/no_more_ipv4/
(Basically, now only companies without *any* IPv4 addresses can request some.)

Perhaps those with IPv4 addresses have stock-piled some address space capacity, so the "big crunch" may not happen quite yet... But it's surely coming.

So it might not be THAT long until some new websites (and services) will only be able to get an IPv6 address. And so won't be accessible from an Amiga, unless Hyperion or someone implements a new TCP/IP stack with IPv6 support


edit: If there is a serious push for making out IPv4 address space last (say because deploying IPv6 is a nightmare, like Microsoft apparently recently discovered) then it seems there are some ways it can be extended:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/01/nginx_and_the_end_of_ip4/

However, I really wouldn't like to rely on that being the case.

@ChrisH
I don't know much about ipv6 but won't all our Internet programs need to be ipv6 aware if we get an ipv6 TCP/IP stack? I'm assuming that an ipv6 stack would have new/different functions/structures/variables.

@xenic
I'm no expert on IPv6 either, but yes, I would assume all our internet programs would need updating to use an IPv6 stack.

Although I have read about IPv4 proxies for IPv6 addresses (kinda like NAT I guess). Perhaps it would be possible to implement something like that inside the new IPv6 stack, for programs which don't understand IPv6 (and for which there is no IPv4 address available) ? OTOH, maybe this would be too complicated to expect, when simply porting a new TCP/IP stack would be a big job itself. Plus there may be some reason why Windows doesn't do this.

@ChrisH

I've been warning about this for ages, actually it has taken longer for IPv4 to run out than I thought (and predictably in Amigaland still nothing has happened).

http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/v ... p?topic_id=35887&forum=17 (there must be an older thread somewhere, but I can't find it)

Yes, all applications will need updating. Anything using Curl will automatically get IPv6 by using a libcurl built with IPv6 support. Old software will still work with IPv4 addresses regardless.