Erion IPv6 Blog

Since 2008 Erion has been taking occasional snapshots of the state of IPv6 in the UK. Today we report the latest measurements for 2015. Our tools test whether organisations have deployed IPv6 on their names servers, email servers and web servers.

Most maintainers of IPv6 statistics use similar tests. Typically they choose the organisations to test using lists of popular web-sites, such as the Alexa list. This is approach is extremely useful as it provides figures for the web-sites that attract the most visitors. These sites are assumed to be important because they have a large number of visitors. This seems a reasonable approach. However, some organisations that important to a country or even globally may not attract huge volumes of visitors simply because their web-site is not a major component of their business. For this reason our approach is a little different. We are interested in the state not just of organisations that have a large number of visitors but rather in organisations that are significant regardless of how many visitors their web-sites receive. We focus on two types of organisation, business organisations and government organisations.

For businesses we measure those organisations that are on the FTSE100 list. For the UK Government we measure all government domain names and the domain names of all UK schools. These results provide a different view from the results derived from the Alexa list (or similar). For comparative purposes we also test UK domains in the top one million domains provided by Alexa. An additional benefit of doing this is to compare our sample size of over 18,000 domains with the 500 sample size used by some other producers of IPv6 statistics. Again for comparative purposes we measure the top 100 Fortune500 companies too.

The Results

2015 IPv6 Statistics for FTSE100 Companies

• 24% of name servers are IPv6 enabled
• 7% of mail servers are IPv6 enabled
• 0% of web servers are IPv6 enabled

2015 IPv6 Statistics for UK Government

• 15.7% of name servers are IPv6 enabled
• 5.9% of mail servers are IPv6 enabled
• 0.6% of web servers are IPv6 enabled

2015 IPv6 Statistics for UK Schools

• 8.5% of name servers are IPv6 enabled
• 5.0% of mail servers are IPv6 enabled
• 5.8% of web servers are IPv6 enabled

2015 UK Top Domains from Alexa Top Million List

• 24.8% of name servers are IPv6 enabled
• 13.2% of mail servers are IPv6 enabled
• 5.0% of web servers are IPv6 enabled

2015 Top 100 Fortune500 Companies

• 35% of name servers are IPv6 enabled
• 3% of mail servers are IPv6 enabled
• 4% of web servers are IPv6 enabled

Discussion

What do these figures tell us?

In each set of results, the percentage of IPv6-enabled name servers is higher than that for mail servers and web servers. Additionally most result sets also show that there is a higher percentage of mail servers IPv6 enabled than web servers.

Why is this? The primary reason that a greater percentage of name servers are IPv6 enabled is because it is often technically easier to enable name servers for IPv6 than mail or web servers. The higher percentage of mail servers than web servers that are IPv6 enabled is due to the fact that many organisations use third-party mail services that are common amongst a number of organisations. These are typically IPv6-enabled. This inflates the results for mail servers as we are measuring the same IPv6 enabled mail servers again and again across different organisations.

As noted at the start of this post, sample size has an effect on results. When others restricted their measurements to the top 500 Alexa web-sites in the UK the percentage of IPv6 enabled web-sites is typically about 46%. This is significantly higher than the 5% that we measured for a sample of over 18,000 domains. An initial reaction might be to conclude that the smaller sample size is not a good indicator of IPv6 deployment status. However, the top 500 Alexa list contains sites that are massively more significant in terms of Internet traffic than the remaining 18,000. So in a sense their importance should be considered in the results. Still we think that a more meaningful measure of IPv6 deployment has to include a greater sample of sites as it is not the size of a site that eventually matters it is the percentage of the whole Internet that is IPv6 enabled. World-wide, of the total top one million Alexa domains, almost 6% are IPv6 enabled.

Where does this leave us for the UK figures?

In this part of the discussion we will ignore the name server and mail server figures; name servers because they are easy to deploy and mail servers because many are operated by a small number of third parties. This leaves the figures for IPv6 enabled web servers which appears to be a more meaningful measure of the true state of IPv6 deployment.

The first observation that we can make from all of these figures is that all of the results are an order of magnitude smaller than that obtained with a sample of only the top five hundred web-sites. Generally, the percentage of UK domains from the Alexa top million web-sites that are IPv6-enabled (5%) is not that dissimilar to that for the global top million web-sites (5.9%). The UK figure appears to be in line with global figures.

When we look at the FTSE100 companies we see that none of their main web-sites are IPv6-enabled. In comparison, the top Fortune500 companies have 4% (that is four) web-sites that are IPv6-enabled. This is still a small percentage for top organisations in the commercial arena.

In terms of the UK Government the figures are tiny at only 0.6% for government domains. This compares badly with other nations that have encouraged IPv6 adoption. For example, in the US this figure is  53.3%. Even when compared with the world’s top million web-sites taken from the Alexa list the UK Government’s figure is almost an order of magnitude smaller.

Conclusions

Here are a few conclusions that we can draw from the above figures:

• Sample size can significantly affect IPv6 deployment statistics (e.g. 46% verses  5% for web servers in the UK with a sample of 500 and over 18,000 respectively)
• Third-party services, such as mail handling services, can distort figures (in this example inflating them)
• Top companies, as measured by financial metrics, have order of magnitude fewer public web servers IPv6-enabled, than do top Web services companies
• In 2015, almost all UK Government web-sites are not IPv6-enabled

Erion is delighted to announce an exciting new training course; 6LowPAN and the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing at an astounding pace. There is a proliferation of Internet enabled devices, with new ones appearing almost daily. Cars, houses, farms, businesses and public places are all becoming a part of the Internet enabled world. The Internet of Things is changing the way that we live.

IPv6 is playing a crucial role in the growth of the Internet of Things. It provides the required address space for the expected hundreds of billions of Internet enabled devices of the future. Furthermore, IPv6 provides a way to leverage standard Internet protocols all the way from the user to the end device. A form of IPv6 (6LowPAN) makes it possible for sensors and actuators that are small, low-power and cheap, to be connected to the Internet of Things.

Erion’s comprehensive 6LowPAN training covers all aspects of 6LowPAN using a wide range of tools and platforms. The course is aimed at all who are interested in learning about 6LowPAN and related technologies and those who wish to understand how to create IoT applications using 6LowPAN. This includes, network managers, hardware engineers, software developers and strategists.

The standard course is four-days long. However, this course is designed to be flexible. We can tailor the programme to your needs. This allows us to run the course for different audiences over one, two, three or four days. Please contact us for full details of the options.

Erion is pleased to announce that we are running our world-leading Implementing and Securing IPv6 (5-day) training course as a public event in Edinburgh UK in April 2015. This is the first time that we have run this course as a public scheduled course in the UK. Previously this course has proved to be very popular as a closed on-site course.

Developed over 16 years, this course covers all aspects of IPv6 deployment and security in comprehensive detail. It is ideal for all technical staff wishing to learn more about IPv6. This 5-day course covers all the topics in our popular Implementing IPv6 (4-day) and Securing IPv6 (3-day) course. This is an intensive course ideal for those who do not have the time to attend both the 4-day and 3-day courses.

This course includes extensive practical hands-on IPv6 exercises. The default platform for this course is Linux but we can arrange for the hands-on exercises to be carried out on other platforms including Cisco IOS.

All Erion’s IPv6 training courses are Gold certified by the IPv6 Forum. Our IPv6 security courses are also IPv6 Security certified from the IPv6 Forum.

Our Edinburgh training location is situated in the city centre near to the world famous Edinburgh castle. There are many excellent facilities and hotels within walking distance. Edinburgh is easily reached via Edinburgh airport and by the UK rail and road network.

The training fee includes, access to excellent facilities and the provision of a complimentary breakfast, sit-down lunch and unlimited tea, coffee, biscuits and fruit throughout the day.

Erion is the world’s leading provider of IPv6 training. We have the largest portfolio of IPv6 training courses, suitable for all audiences, covering all aspects of IPv6 on all major operating systems and platforms. Erion’s courses are certified by the IPv6 Forum and are part of the Erion IPv6 Certified training programme. In addition to our public IPv6 training schedule, we also provide IPv6 training as on-site courses and we provide Erion Modular IPv6 Training which allows for a bespoke training programme to be created based on our hundreds of IPv6 training modules.For further information please contact us on +44 (0)1422 207000, enquiry@erion.co.uk or through our web-site contact form.

Copyright Erion Ltd 2015, all rights reserved. Permission to publish this article unchanged is hereby given.

Erion have just released a new IPv6 course for Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This course is designed to help ISPs prepare their Helpdesk staff to support IPv6.

Many ISPs have already deployed or are in the process of deploying, IPv6. A key aspect of any deployment is ensuring that all staff have the necessary IPv6 skills. In an ISP providing residential broadband service it is crucial that front line Helpdesk staff have an understanding of IPv6 and of basic IPv6 troubleshooting techniques.

This short course provides the basic knowledge, techniques and understanding required by ISP Helpdesk staff. This course is aligned with RIPE’s current best practice (IPv6 Troubleshooting for Residential ISP Helpdesks) and their recommended IPv6 test tools for residential ISPs.

The practical aspects of this course are applicable to all operating systems usually found in residential environments.

This course is designed to be run on-site as a closed course for a specific ISP. As such it can be tailored to reflect a specific IPv6 deployment and Helpdesk practice. It can also be modified to reflect the skill set of existing Helpdesk staff.

The course description can be found here. Please contact us if you require any further information.

Erion is the world’s leading IPv6 training company with the largest and most comprehensive portfolio of IPv6 training courses. Erion has been providing IPv6 training and IPv6 consultancy since 1998.

At the recent IPv6 Enablers conference held in Edinburgh last week, BT announced that they will be rolling out IPv6 to broadband users in 2015.

In 2013, BT trialled the use of Carrier Grade NAT (CGN) as a possible approach to extending the life of the IPv4 Internet. BT found the problems associated with CGN made it an unacceptable solution. As a result, BT is now committed to deploying IPv6 which is the only long term solution to the IPv4 address exhaustion problem.

This is extremely important news for IPv6 adoption in the UK. Today many of the world’s top Internet sites and Content Providers are IPv6 enabled as are all the main carriers. In many cases all that hinders the use of IPv6 is the last mile to the End User being IPv6 enabled. In the UK, the deployment of IPv6 by BT and the other ISPs will eliminate this obstruction to the widespread use of IPv6.

In other parts of the world where End Users have IPv6, it is common today for 50% of the End Users’ traffic to be carried over IPv6. This figure was 35% in 2013, demonstrating the rapid growth in the number of IPv6 enabled services on the Internet.

Erion is the world’s leading IPv6 training company and a leading provider of IPv6 consultancy. Erion has been providing IPv6 services since 1998. Our customers include many of the world’s leading technology companies, global enterprises, government organisations and standards bodies.

At last week’s IPv6 Future Enablers conference, Erion’s Dr. David Holder gave a presentation on the Implications of Carrier Grade NAT (CGN). This presentation was a brief summary of the findings of the CGN Study that he undertook in 2013 for Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunications regulator. The presentation is now uploaded to Erion’s web-site and can be found here.

In the Study, David Holder predicted that the downsides of CGN would lead to an increased adoption of IPv6. At the conference this was widely confirmed by fixed line and mobile service providers alike. All agreed that CGN is something to avoid and that IPv6 presents the only realistic long term solution to the IPv4 address exhaustion. Furthermore, all were agreed that IPv6 should be used to bypass the limitations of CGN.

At the conference, BT’s IPv6 Programme Director, Stuart Smith announced that BT intend to enable IPv6 for broadband users in 2015. He said that this was in part due to the limitations of CGN which BT trialled in 2013.

Last week saw the first IPv6 Future Enabler Conference in Edinburgh UK. The one day event had a very full schedule with speakers from, Erion, Cisco, EE, RIPE, Sony, IPv6 Forum, Go6 and Deutsche Telekom AG.

All the presentations highlighted a number of common key messages. These included the reality that IPv6 is already widely deployed, the fact that the problems of CGN are likely to drive even greater adoption of IPv6 and that today IPv6 enabled End Users find that over 50% of their traffic is over IPv6.

A highlight during the conference was when BT’s Stuart Smith (BT’s Director of IPv6 Programme) announced from the floor that BT intend to deploy IPv6 to broadband users in 2015. The reason that he gave for BT’s move to deploy IPv6 was the need to avoid the serious problems of CGN which BT trialled in 2013. This is closely linked to the CGN report published by Ofcom in 2013 for which the lead technical author was Erion’s David Holder.

Overall the conference reflected a very exciting time for IPv6 generally and specifically in the UK. The news for the UK is particularly good where after many years of lagging behind the rest of the world by almost any meaningful metric we can now look forward to quickly catching up.

The IPv6 Future Enabler was sponsored by Erion, the world’s leading IPv6 Training company.

Erion are delighted to announce an exciting new IPv6 conference in 2014. This is the first UK IPv6 conference of its kind and the first to be held in Scotland.  Full details can be found below.

IPv6 Future Enabler:

20th November 2014, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, UK

We are proud to announce the launch of IPv6 Future Enabler, a one day conference focussing on the implications of IPv6 deployment. This conference is organised by Scot-Tech Engagement with support from the IPv6 Forum.

The event will bring together leading experts and industry representatives to share their extensive experience of IPv6 , featuring a unique and ambitious programme of presentations, case studies and discussion, the conference will consider the challenges posed by the exhaustion of the IPv4 address pool and the subsequent deployment of IPv6 and associated technologies.

This is the first conference of its type in the UK and the first IPv6 conference ever to be held in Scotland. Consequently, the event will present an opportune forum for knowledge exchange and debate with renowned experts and like-minded peers from across the globe.

The conference will consider:

• Where are we now?

A review of the status of IPv6 in the UK and globally and ongoing implications of the exhaustion of the IPv4 address space.

• How, when and why?

How when and why to deploy IPv6 in different organisations and network scenarios.

• Realising the benefits of IPv6

An analysis of how best to realise the benefits of IPv6. Including new networking models and opportunities made possible through IPv6.

• What next?

A discussion of what will happen next with IPv6 and how IPv6 will influence the future of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT).

Why attend?

• Learn from the extensive knowledge of renowned experts and the practical experience of industry leaders
• Engage and network with like-minded peers from across the country
• Contribute to compelling discussions and knowledge exchange

Registration

Due to generous support from the events sponsors, we have a limited allocation of discounted bursary places. Consequently, the first 50 delegates for this event will obtain a 50% reduced rate.

To register visit: http://www.ipv6-uk.com/book-now/

Discounted Rate = £99 , Standard Rate = £199 . Spaces are very limited so please book as soon as possible.

Erion is pleased to announce the public release of two new IPv6 training courses for Juniper and HP routers and switches. These two courses complement Erion’s existing large IPv6 course portfolio which covers Cisco IOS, Windows, Linux and Unix.

Full details of these courses can be found at the links below:

• Implementing IPv6 on Juniper
• Implementing IPv6 on HP

Erion is the world’s leading provider of IPv6 training. We have the largest portfolio of IPv6 training courses, suitable for all audiences, covering all aspects of IPv6 on all major operating systems and platforms. Erion’s courses are certified by the IPv6 Forum and are part of the Erion IPv6 Certified training programme. In addition to our public IPv6 training schedule, we also provide IPv6 training as on-site courses and we provide Erion Modular IPv6 Training which allows for a bespoke training programme to be created based on our hundreds of IPv6 training modules.For further information please contact us on +44 (0)1422 207000, enquiry@erion.co.uk or through our web-site contact form.

Copyright Erion Ltd 2014, all rights reserved. Permission to publish this article unchanged is hereby given.

Erion is proud to announce the release of a new and comprehensive Samba course. This course covers all aspects of Windows and Linux/Unix integration focussing mainly on solutions based upon samba the Open Software world’s leading cross-platform integration solution. Not only does this course cover the latest versions and features of Samba it also is applicable to the most recent releases of Microsoft Windows including Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1.

The first public run of this course is scheduled for February 2015 in London UK. Full details of the course and its current schedule can be found here.