IPv6 support

[tmiw]

Any plans for Sprint to implement IPv6 once it finishes the NV rollout? I went to test-ipv6.com on my HTC One and it couldn't detect any.

 

Also, I thought IPv6 was mandatory for LTE, or was I mistaken? I know Verizon mandated IPv6 support in their devices before they started their LTE rollout.

[dcmike]

Great question! I did a little poking around and unfortunately there's very little information regarding Sprint's wireless network and IPv6. Their Tier 1 network is of course fully compliant by now but that's the only concrete info I could find. I did come across a press release dated 2007 indicating that Sprint has been working on IPv6 since 1997   and a PowerPoint talking about Sprint beginning deployment on their wireless network in 2013. I also found a few random forum discussions that seem to agree there's no intent to upgrade the legacy network to IPv6 but the LTE network of course will be.

 

The mandatory rule you're thinking of might be the one required by the ITU for "true 4G" but there's no such requirement for LTE alone that I'm aware of.

[jefbal99]

I believe my wife's Photon Q was pulling an IPv6 address when I was looking at the debug screens the other day.  I'll check again and try to grab a screenshot if my memory serves me correctly.

[dmaxx67]

what are the advantages of using IPV6 besides greater number of ip addresses?

[tmiw]

what are the advantages of using IPV6 besides greater number of ip addresses?

 

At this point, being able to access IPv6-only websites (since we're close to or have already run out of IPv4).

[JohnnyAwesome]

This is something I've also been curious about. 

 

If you can pullup that IpV6 address would be interesting to see if it's a real IPv6 address. I think most devices that support ipv6 assing themselves a generic IP address in the ipv6 realm even if the network doesn't give it one, just like many devices do with a v4 address. 

[jefbal99]

I checked her phone again and it has an IPv6 address, but it is on a screen differing from the EVDO/eHRPD/LTE screen.  Those are all IPv4 addresses.  I need to get the name of the screen that has that address.

[jonesnco]

The easiest way to know if you have a publicly routed IPv6 address (IMO) is to go to a RIR homepage.  For most of us it is www.arin.net.  They have an applet that runs at the top that tells you your IPv6 (or IPv4) address.   IPv4 address = no IPv6 connectivity.

 

Separately, it might be good to email this address:

 

ipv6-support@sprint.net

 

about IPv6 in Sprint's cellular networks.  Based on one press release from 2010 they planned IPv6 deployment in 2012.  Clearly that hasn't happened.  

Edited March 2, 2014 by jonesnco

[tmiw]

I also found a few random forum discussions that seem to agree there's no intent to upgrade the legacy network to IPv6 but the LTE network of course will be.

 

Would IPv6 work as long as I'm on an NV tower (even if not LTE)? Or is EVDO/CDMA IPv4 only by design?

[David Mackler]

Separately, it might be good to email this address:

 

ipv6-support@sprint.net

 

about IPv6 in Sprint's cellular networks.  Based on one press release from 2010 they planned IPv6 deployment in 2012.  Clearly that hasn't happened.  

 

You did inspire me to send a note to that address. We shall see if that helps, but every vote counts.

[Nickel]

Neal did a writeup about Mobile IPv6 a while ago

http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/145765-ipv6-makes-mobile-networks-faster

[jonesnco]

 

Would IPv6 work as long as I'm on an NV tower (even if not LTE)? Or is EVDO/CDMA IPv4 only by design?

 

 

I think it is safe to say since LTE has been designed with support for IPv6 in mind, the legacy manufacturers might not be updating their devices to support IPv6. IPv6 support exists in revisions to the 3GPP standards but it was up to the equipment manufactures to implement it and carriers to route it. Since the carriers are deploying LTE anyway their need to demand support from a non-supporting 3G equipment manufacturer is pretty low. Your success with a non-LTE tower would depend on the 3G manufacturer's support for IPv6 AND the carrier's willingness to enable it AND route the IPv6 traffic AND the phone supporting IPv6 over the cellular interface connecting to that tower. I suspect the chances are low but that isn't an area I work in so there is a good deal of guessing there.

 

On an iPhone 4 (IOS 6) I don't see anything in the iPhone's GPRS interface for an IPv6 address while the WiFi interface has IPv6 enabled and configures a global address when on an IPv6-enabled network. My guess is IPv6 isn't enabled (and maybe isn't even an option) on the GPRS interface on that phone otherwise I should see a link-local address but no global address.

[JDD]

what are the advantages of using IPV6 besides greater number of ip addresses?

You will get better data managment, more secure, video and sound will run a lot smoother with less latency. This is just a few details, Ip v6 is huge. I teach a 5 day course on it and don't think I cover even a quarter of what it can actually do.

[dnwk]

Well, IPv6 could be near. Last Month when I check Sprint's AS for its wireless network. It does not have IPv6 enabled on network level. But I check it today, IPv6 appears on the BGP.  http://bgp.he.net/AS10507

[David Mackler]

You did inspire me to send a note to that address. We shall see if that helps, but every vote counts.

And I did receive a reply from that address:

 

 Regretfully this mailbox can provide you no answers on Sprint PCS wireless schedule as the team's members are engineers supporting IPv6 on our commercial router networks and are not privy to PCS wireless solution deployment planning. I took a quick look at the sprint.com web site and for the content I could find there, it was in reference to IPv6 deployment on our Internet, MPLS and Peerless IP router networks. Sprint is completing MPLS IPv6 launch this year which would insure that networks our wireless network uses are supporting IPv6, and ready for PCS IPv6 future plans.

[jonesnco]

Pestered Sprint for....quite some time.  Apparently Spark is the key.  Spark-enabled phones in Spark supported areas should be dual-stack.  Unsure how things like Happy Eyeballs might work.  Sadly, my phone isn't supported, my area isn't listed as having or to be getting Spark in the near-term so I can't test this from a store and the closest city to try and test is a 3 hour drive away.

 

Anyone here willing to try it?  Easiest test IMO is just go to http://ip6.me and click the 'IPv6 only test' link since depending on how preference for one protocol over another is implemented might affect the test to the main page and end up using IPv4.  If IPv6 isn't working you should get a server not found error (or the like).  If it does work, an IPv6 address.

[tmiw]

Pestered Sprint for....quite some time.  Apparently Spark is the key.  Spark-enabled phones in Spark supported areas should be dual-stack.  Unsure how things like Happy Eyeballs might work.  Sadly, my phone isn't supported, my area isn't listed as having or to be getting Spark in the near-term so I can't test this from a store and the closest city to try and test is a 3 hour drive away.

 

Anyone here willing to try it?  Easiest test IMO is just go to http://ip6.me and click the 'IPv6 only test' link since depending on how preference for one protocol over another is implemented might affect the test to the main page and end up using IPv4.  If IPv6 isn't working you should get a server not found error (or the like).  If it does work, an IPv6 address.

 

I'm pretty sure any recent Android phone is dual-stack, but not necessarily on LTE. I was tunneling IPv6 at home for a bit and test-ipv6.com was working on my HTC One (which isn't Spark capable).

[jonesnco]

I was talking about a test using the cellular interface, not WiFi, etc. I want to see if what Sprint is telling me is correct.

[dnwk]

It looks like T-mobile's LTE is IPv6. Also as Verizon.

[jonesnco]

After testing in Dallas using an GS5 (which I was told supported dual-stack in Spark areas) running 4.4.4 and verifying I was in a strong Spark area, I found no evidence the phone was using IPv6 over the cellular interface. The same phone does IPv6 over wifi regularly so the local stack isn't an issue. This is very disappointing and contrary to what I was told by Sprint's exec office in Aug 2014.

[S4GRU]

AT&T LTE still does not use IPv6 anywhere I've ever seen yet, either. I'm still not sure what the advantage is other than not running out of IP addresses.

[radem]

My iphone 5S pulls IPv6 pages from my WIFI just fine but when connected to the Sprint data network, it uses IPv4 only.

 

Here is a list of IPv6 only pages that someone compiled.

 

http://ipv6.cybernode.com/list-of-ipv6-only-sites

 

Unless you are on a dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6, you cannot access those sites.  Here is a video with why we need IPv6 soon.

 

https://www.arin.net/knowledge/deploying_ipv6/index.html

[tmiw]

I actually spent significant time getting IPv6 working on my home connection. test-ipv6.com gives me 10/10 and I think I can turn off IPv4 on my laptop and be able to access IPv6 only websites with no issue (currently untested). 

 

Would be nice if Sprint supported it though, but they may be thinking that CGNAT would be perfectly fine for phones.

[stuckinohio1]

My iphone 5S pulls IPv6 pages from my WIFI just fine but when connected to the Sprint data network, it uses IPv4 only.

 

Here is a list of IPv6 only pages that someone compiled.

 

http://ipv6.cybernode.com/list-of-ipv6-only-sites

 

Unless you are on a dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6, you cannot access those sites.  Here is a video with why we need IPv6 soon.

 

https://www.arin.net/knowledge/deploying_ipv6/index.html

the IPV6 website does not load on my PC. is it down?

[radem]

the IPV6 website does not load on my PC. is it down?

The first site in the list (cybermod) will only load if you have IPv6 on the device that is trying to load it.  That site itself is an example of an IPv6 only site.  You must not have a working IPv6 path to the internet on your home computer.  I suggest you go to: http://test-ipv6.com and test your computer to see if it has both IPv4 and IPv6 stacks running with connectivity to the internet.