Snap future-proofs all customers with IPv6

Every Snap customer can have Internet-routable IPv6 addresses

Snap Internet Media Release – 26 August 2011

All Snap Internet customers now have native IPv6 connectivity for no additional cost to safeguard them from the threat of IPv4 address exhaustion.

As of this year, no more IPv4 addresses can be allocated from network registries. The numbers of IPv4 addresses available for customers are dwindling and will become costlier as a result.

While other ISPs talk about putting in the new Internet addressing protocol IPv6 Snap has already moved to ensure future connectivity for customers.

Starting this August, Snap’s network is fully IPv6 enabled for all customers. The IPv6 service will run alongside Snap’s normal IPv4 connectivity.

All you need to do is to upgrade to a DSL or other router that’s IPv6 capable and configured properly, and you can start accessing the Internet with the new address protocol. Snap will initially be offering support for IPv6 via email, but will extend this to phone support later this year (Please note that if router configuration and IPv6 troubleshooting is needed, it will be handled by Snap’s Tier 2 Technical Specialists which may be charged)

Mark Petrie SNAP COO says:  “We have been preparing for IPv4 addresses to run out for the past four years, and wanted to ensure that our customers can continue using the Internet without interruption, or further costs. This is hugely important, especially for business customers depending on the Internet.”

As most residential routers presently don’t support IPv6, in a further move to ensure easy migration to the new protocol, Snap will be selling AVM Fritz! Boxes from September. These are fully enabled for IPv6, and pre-configured by Snap.

Commercial customers can get support from Snap too, for help with migrating to the new protocol from Snap’s IPv6 trained staff.

Globally, everyone is getting ready for IPv6 and so should you. Already, many sites on the Internet are fully IPv6 enabled such as Google. In June this year, Google, Yahoo, Facebook and other Internet giants held the World IPv6 Day to kick off uptake of the new protocol, and to test it around the world.

Petrie says “All new operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X and iOS, and Linux are ready to run IPv6 too. “

Moving to IPv6 means each device can reach others directly on the Internet – this is called the end-to-end principle, and it ensures the best network performance possible, with the least complexity.

Already, the lack of IPv4 addresses has led to extensive use of measures such as Network Address Translation or NAT. However, NAT which uses addresses that cannot be found directly on the Internet breaks the important end-to-end principle and adds complexity, especially for large networks. It may also cause performance issues.

Snap DSL plans for residential users start at $75 a month with broadband and phone, with more available.

To test if you’re connected with IPv6, go to http://test-ipv6.com.