This might be a stupid idea, so feel free to roundly berate me, but...
Given that a switch to IPv6 has potential to cause widespread problems, and that we might be facing such a switch before they are ironed out..
Can we not simply update IPv4 and add a new octet to the address space? So 255.255.255.255.255, then call everything distributed so far 000.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx and make a start on the 001.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx address space.
I appreciate that we would need to update a lot of software to handle the new octet, but I can't help feeling that would be much easier to do (with the advantage of easier "failing gracefully" / backward support).
As I understand it, the problem for IPv6 is with existing routing hardware and with testing. So if you're going to go through all the effort to add a new octet (which requires changing the IP packet format to allow for the extra space, for example), then you might as well go all the way to IPv6 and solve the problem once and for all.
Not just the IP packet format. Most software ends up storing IPv4 ip addresses in a 32-bit integer (because it fits exactly). All of those pieces of software would need to be updated to work with IPv4's 'new ocetet' as well. As the other poster stated. If everything needs to be upgraded, then might as well do it right the first time.
Given that a switch to IPv6 has potential to cause widespread problems, and that we might be facing such a switch before they are ironed out..
Can we not simply update IPv4 and add a new octet to the address space? So 255.255.255.255.255, then call everything distributed so far 000.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx and make a start on the 001.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx address space.
I appreciate that we would need to update a lot of software to handle the new octet, but I can't help feeling that would be much easier to do (with the advantage of easier "failing gracefully" / backward support).
But networking ain't my thing :)