Overview

Topics:

IPv6 Ready Certification

Dell SonicWALL has met the requirements for "IPv6 Ready" Phase-1 and Phase-2, as specified by the IPv6 Forum, a world-wide consortium providing technical guidance for the deployment of IPv6. The IPv6 Ready Logo Program is a conformance and interoperability testing program intended to increase user confidence by demonstrating that IPv6 is available now and ready to be used.

The IPv6 Ready series of tests extends from a basic level of minimum coverage in Phase-1 to a more complete coverage with Phase-2:

Dell SonicWALL has been certified for Phase 2 (Gold) IPv6 Ready status. A future Phase-3 level of IPv6 Ready coverage is currently being developed.

For more information, see: http://www.ipv6ready.org/

NOTE: Wizards for IPv6 are not supported in SonicOS.

IPv6 Technology Overview

Every device that is connected to the Internet (computer, printer, smart phone, smart meter, etc.) requires an IP address. The Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) provides for approximately 4.3 billion unique IP addresses. The rapid global expansion in usage of the Internet, mobile phones, and VoIP telephony will soon lead to the exhaustion of these 4.3 billion IP addresses.

On February 3rd, 2011, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) distributed the last-remaining blocks of IPv4 addresses to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). After the RIRs distribute these addresses to ISPs later this year, the world’s supply of new IPv4 addresses will be exhausted.

Luckily, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) began planning for this day back around 1992, and in 1998, RFC 2460 was published to define Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6). By increasing the address length from 32 bits to 128 bits, IPv6 dramatically increases the number of available addresses compared to IPv4:

Understanding IPv6 Addresses

IPv6 addresses are written in eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons, in the form:

IPv6 addresses are logically divided into two parts: a 64-bit (sub-)network prefix, and a 64-bit interface identifier. Here is an example of an IPv6 address:

NOTE: The hexadecimal digits in IPv6 addresses are case-insensitive.

IPv6 address can be abbreviated using the following two rules:

to this abbreviated form:

to this abbreviated form:

NOTE: Networks must have IPv4 internet connectivity to get connected to IPv6 internet.

NOTE: IPv6 stack must be enabled for computers at the local network sites.

Figure 68 is a simplified picture showing connectivity model for a typical IPv6 deployment.

Figure 68. Typical IPv6 deployment

Figure 69 shows a comparison of the header elements between IPv4 and IPv6.

Figure 69. Comparison of IPv4 and IPv6 header elements

IPv6 Benefits

IPv6 brings some key features to improve the limitations exposed by IPv4. The new IP standard extends IPv4 in a number of important aspects:

Dell SonicWALL IPv6 Services and Features Currently Supported

Dell SonicWALL IPv6 Features Not Currently Supported

NOTE: SonicOS 6.2 is a dual IP stack firmware. Features that are not supported for IPv6 are still supported for IPv4.

Supported IPv6 RFCs

This section lists the IPv6 RFCs supported in SonicOS 6.2:

TCP/IP stack and Network Protocols

IPsec Conformance

NAT Conformance

DNS Conformance

Non-Supported IPv6 RFCs

This section lists the IPv6 RFCs currently not supported in SonicOS 6.2: