Introduction of the dual stack approach for IPv6
With the introduction of IPv6, fundamental processes of network communication are changing. Not only does the expansion of the address space mitigate the IP address shortage, but the new standard also allows all end devices in a network to be given unique addresses.
Why is IPv6 necessary?
Each device requires a unique address for communication in the Internet. The Internet protocol currently in use (IPv4) offers 4.3 billion such addresses, but these have already all been assigned and many service providers are making a huge effort to ensure ongoing operations and growth with the remaining address area.
While the address area of IPv4 is in no way enough to give every person on the planet their own address, IPv4's successor IPv6 could theoretically assign around 600 quadrillion IP addresses to every square millimetre of the planet.
A further reason behind the expansion of the address area is the goal of making end-to-end communication as pure as possible. End-to-end communication – without an indirect route via NAT (Network Address Translation) – is one of the central prerequisites for the Internet of Things.
The implementation of IPv6 is thus an investment in the future. Trends like the Internet of Things clearly show that the number of devices connected to the Internet that have to be uniquely identifiable will increase exponentially in the years to come.
How can I benefit from IPv6?
Swisscom is currently introducing the dual stack approach for IPv6 in BBCS. Dual stack IPv4/v6 can be activated for BBCS connections as of early 2022. The IPv6 capability of the connection between Swisscom and you as an Internet provider is a prerequisite for this, as is the deployment of end devices that support IPv4/v6 dual stack.
Swisscom then assigns every connection a dynamic /56 prefix with which 256 subnets can be operated. CoS (class of service) is not supported for IPv6 traffic for the time being.
We are foregoing automated IP pool management for IPv6. You allocate a sufficiently large IPv6 range during activation, which is uniquely distributed across all BNGs (Broadband Network Gateways). Dynamic adjustments (increase/decrease of the range used on the BNG) are longer necessary with IPv6 addresses. The initially defined size of the allocated IPv6 range must therefore take your expected growth into account.
You can activate dual stack for each connection in the WSG. In addition, you can check the IPv6 address space usage as well as the IPv6 range allocated to a connection.
Do you need more information? You can get in touch with us at any time with your questions.