MIT Technology Review Slams IPv6

PCM2 writes "In the MIT Technology Review, Simson Garfinkel, noted author of Internet security books, writes that "the next version of the Internet Protocol, IPv6, will supply the world with addresses by the trillions. Too bad it will also make the Net slower and less secure." His article goes on to explain that all IPv6 code is untested and therefore insecure; that IPv6 makes encourages 'peer-to-peer based copyright violation systems'; and of course, that the switch is never going to happen anyway (and yet, somehow, the United States is 'falling behind')."

Ok, Honest Answer....

[stevezero]

How many people read that name at first as "Simon Garfunkel"?

Re:MIT is one to talk

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean an entire dorm doesn't need a Class A network? Are you sure?

Re:Is this technical or political?

[Trejkaz]

IPv6 makes encourages 'peer-to-peer based copyright violation systems'

That sounds like a plus to me.

Haven't we learned anything?

[juglugs]

Quote: "Put another way, the switchover will result in roughly 5,000 addresses for every square micrometer of the Earth's surface. There are so many IPv6 addresses that humanity will never run out of them--never, ever."

I bet they said that when IPv4 was invented.

Re:NAT is bad?

[relrelrel]

98% of Windows users.

Re:MIT is one to talk

[Anonymous Coward]

They are not wasting IP addresses frivolously, they are simply reserving them for alumni ... for the next 16,000 years.

seriously though

[commodoresloat]

nobody will ever need more than 640 IP addresses.

Re:help the v4 shortage

[El]

Hey, when you put 'net interfaces in every coffee maker and coke machine, you need a LOT of addresses!

5?

[ArsonPanda]

Everyone seems to be switching from Linux 2.4.x to 2.6.x
Now we're going from IPv4 to IPv6

What the fuck do you people have against the number 5?

Re:Good article but a little too namby-pamby

[DasBub]

That's all well and good, but how many people will get your Chauncey Gardner reference? How many slashdotters even know who Peter Sellers was?

How come I can't get no Tang 'round here?

Re:help the v4 shortage

[debrain]

Yea, sure, if they plan on keeping track of all the bathrooms [mit.edu].

obligatory Monty Python quote...

[Dazhel]

"Five is RIGHT OUT!"

Three reasons to hate 5 (attempt at humor)...

[cwolfsheep]

1. "Twelve Days of Christmas:" you get 6 "geese a laying" & 4 "calling birds," but 5 expensive "gold rings." You can shoot the birds. ;)

2. 5 is not an even number: it makes slow people stop thinking when they try to divide it.

3. A family of 5 usually means 2 parents & 3 children: nobody wants to be the middle child.

Re:untested code...

[TedCheshireAcad]

You would think that, but we just use it for warez and mp3s right now. If students had written the RFC for IPv6, it would be something like:

"D00d we need warez trading 2 organize n shit ok thx"

Re:Three reasons to hate 5 (attempt at humor)...

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks for the notice saying that this is an attempt at humour. Wouldn't have laughed at this without that.

Re:MIT is one to talk

[MighMoS]

Help! Someone just hacked into my toaster and now all my celery is burned because it was integrated with the refrigerator!

A summary of the objections

[bgarrett]

New software contains new bugs. Hardware upgrades are expensive. NAT is not a magic bullet.

Does this man write a regular column called "The Obvious"? He should.

Re:Is this technical or political?

[1u3hr]

IPv6 makes encourages 'peer-to-peer based copyright violation systems'

Well, it's not grammatical.

Re:NAT is bad?

[d3faultus3r]

Hey! toasters and refrigerators need porn and mp3s as much as anyone! And urgent news pertaining to appliances. For instance: Toastdot, news for toasters. stuff that matters.

Secure? IIS?......

[N1XIM]

All I have to say is that I'm not really going to take seriously somebody whom talks about security problems but still serves webpages from a M$ IIS server..........

Re:Another "IPv6 won't be here soon" article...

[Anonymous Coward]

I love Simpson Garfinkel. I went to see them in concert before they broke up. What was that song about the bridge over troubled water? That was great.

Re:help the v4 shortage

[macdaddy]

BMF L has been occupied for 36 min

Man, I really feel for that guy. Proof that 5-day old pizza really isn't edible.

Re:MIT is one to talk

[badboy_tw2002]

After all 640K addresses should be enough for anyone! Uhhh...I mean 2^32. Sorry. Please don't put limitations on what you think the world will need 30-40 years from now.

Re:MIT is one to talk

[RajivSLK]

I would really like to know why Slashdot keeps posting fantastical stories from that ratings-driven rag.

Maybe it's because those 26 people are doing a really good job?!?

enough?

[mekon]

"Put another way, the switchover will result in roughly 5,000 addresses for every square micrometer of the Earth?s surface. There are so many IPv6 addresses that humanity will never run out of them?never, ever."

just thinking of a thousand swarms of 600 billion nano-robots conquering the deserts of some evil country desperately seeking WMDs. we WILL run in trouble with these 128bit adress fields...

Yeah right

[SeXy_Red]

Were supposed to believe a guy name Simson Garfinkel???

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)...