RFC 1631: The IP Network Address Translator (NAT)
datatracker.ietf.org
This memo proposes another short-term solution, address reuse, that complements CIDR or even makes it unnecessary. The address reuse solution is to place Network Address Translators (NAT) at the borders of stub domains. This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.

From the conclusion:

NAT may be a good short term solution to the address depletion and scaling problems. This is because it requires very few changes and can be installed incrementally. NAT has several negative characteristics that make it inappropriate as a long term solution, and may make it inappropriate even as a short term solution. Only implementation and experimentation will determine its appropriateness.

  • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    212·
    7 months ago

    That temporary fix will eventually become unnecessary. IPv6 has slowly getting more and more use.

    • purplemonkeymad@programming.dev
      24·
      7 months ago

      It’s been getting “more and more use” since 2001. To start with the isps said that they were not going to do any work to implement it until endpoints supported it. Then vista came with support by default. Next they wanted the backbones to support it. All tier 1 networks are now dual stack. Then they said they were not going to do anything until websites supported it widely. Now all cdns support it. Then they said, it’s ok we will just do mass nat on everyone so won’t do any work on it.

      • qprimed@lemmy.mlEnglish
        9·
        7 months ago

        exactly. I have been begging multiple ISPs for direct IPv6 allocations for 10+ years now. its always “we are internally testing - not available for distribution yet”. the most recent request from me was less than 3 months ago when I needed a IPv4 /29 for a remote site. figured I would see if I could also get a nice sized IPv6 allocation as well. nope. just gotta keep paying a premium for that dwindling IPv4 address space.

        Hurricane Electric is to be commended for their public IPv6 tunnels, but without direct allocations from your immediate upstream, its just play.

        • psud@aussie.zone
          9·
          7 months ago

          I chose an ISP that dual homed customers on IPv4 and IPv6, but then the giant ISP that wants a monopoly bought them and now I get IPv4

      • frezik
        3·
        7 months ago

        A lot of ISPs do have some kind of IPv6. Many don’t give you a prefix with the length they should. Many don’t give you a static prefix. They’re doing everything they can to continue to fuck this up.

        Mostly to their own detriment. Maintaining equipment to do carrier grade NAT makes their network slower, less reliable, and more expensive.

      • raldone01@lemmy.world
        1·
        7 months ago

        At least I have a nice static and proper ipv6 prefix.

        However when I asked for a reverse dns entry they could only give me one for ipv4… So now my Mail server only uses ipv4. :-(