Way to go Time Warner!

Semi-pleasant surprise today. We had a modem connected up for client and strange things started happening. Applications were failing, a few users were complaining, and the internet was downright wonky.

So I remote in to one of the client’s computers and start poking around. Everything is normal till I run an ipconfig. Are those IPv6 addresses on the Ethernet interface? It’s not a MAC address…It’s not fe80 link local…

Okay, open google, whatsmyip.com

Your IPv6 Address Is: redacted
Your IP Details:
ISP: Time Warner Cable
Services: None Detected
City: redacted
Region: redacted
Country: United States

Holy frickin crap the modem pulled IPv6

The PCs pulled IPv6

THIS IS AWESOME

Well sort of. We still have services to migrate to v6. The client isn’t v6 ready, which caused all the wonkiness in the network. So unfortunately we had to request switching to IPv4 only service at this site, but I’m still ridiculously excited.

I may be overdoing it a bit, but I don’t get to see this often. I primarily deal with Charter-Spectrum and Comcast. Both companies do their job well; however, I have yet to see a native IPv6 pull from either one. Both claim to have a large v6 footprint. I’ve talked to both companies too many times in reference to public facing modem IPs when helping people set up web servers or remote services, and it’s always public v4 or a private 10 dot for ISP/Carrier-grade NAT. So, all three companies say they have rolled out v6, but, in my experience, I’ve only seen v6 from Time Warner.

We need this. We’re out, straight up out, of IPv6 under ARIN. Business is not propelling v6 migration, but we know why. Everyone has said it and I’m going to say it again: There’s no Return-On-Investment for IPv6. Developers don’t want v6, it’s extra work. Standards aren’t doing it; instead, the IETF has spent all their time trying to fix old problems instead of pushing innovation. Someone has to drive this.

I want the ISPs to be the bigger people and force it.

I’m not saying do it overnight. I want to see ISPs quietly phase in dual-stack then set reasonable end-of-service dates for IPv4. I know that puts a financial burden on the  ISP, but it’s the ISPs who seem set to profit the most from the resale of IPv6 blocks anyways. I didn’t see ISPs doing that at the moment, but tripping over a native public v6 address today has restored my hope.

Time Warner, thank you for giving me an awesome Friday and inspiring me to continue to be an IPv6 Evangelist.