Google and Facebook have warned internet users to expect problems today as they and over 400 other internet companies test out the new internet system IPv6. And not just any web companies either, the world's largest companies. You may be wondering what the Hell IPv6 is, why it's been testing and why it's messing up your internet. Well if you are, here's a mini-guide to IPv6 Day.
You may have seen our article in February claiming that the last few IP addresses had been sold, meaning we've now ran out of them. Well that wasn't an exaggerated rumour from some nerd in a basement; It's the truth. The internet is constantly growing and moving and the explosion of web browsing portable devices and the emergence of new online markets means that eventually we'll have to change over from IPv4 (Internet protocol version 4) to, you guessed it, Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) don't ask what's happened to IPv5.
How will IPv6 help?
Just like adding digits to a phone number V6 will move the internet from 32 bit addresses to 128 bit addresses allowing room for around billion times more internet identifiers.
What's the problem?
There are two.
1. IPv4 and v6 can't connect. Fast growing internet markets in China and India will struggle to switch to v6 and (if Europe and the US have switched, they won't be able to access our websites and we won't be able to access theirs.
2. Some computers can't handle it. Mac's and computers with old browsers will struggle the most today, finding websites like Yahoo, Bing, Facebook and Google slow or unresponsive.
However last year Heise Online, one of Germany's biggest news sites, performed an IPv6 test and concluded that the number of problems was "smaller than previously feared." And today; "The vast majority (99.95 per cent) of people will be able to access services without interruption," say Google.
Ultimately, the average users won’t even notice the change over.