Unresolved Problems
In surveillance networks, IPv6 has several implications. Network cameras are designed to be on standby or ready for IPv6, from onboard software in the cameras to management platforms. However, for storage, it is hard to find IPv6 support for DVRs and NVRs. The same lack of IPv6 support is seen in management platforms and video servers, except for a few offerings from global brands. This seemed puzzling, so we looked for more reasons and uncovered several secrets about network applications. These issues range from technical problems to usage concerns.
On the usage side, video surveillance applications try to avoid IP allocation issues, much like registering for an online domain, by registering for an IPv6 block of addresses as soon as possible. While IPv6 has a much higher threshold for addresses, they will eventually run out, resulting in a scramble to secure virtual real estate. For video applications, the first issue for IPv6 is whether to register early for addresses before they all get taken. Another issue is a common misconception. As the advantages of IPv6 are clear for transmission, many ask whether IPv4 or IPv6 is faster. It may come as a shock that there is no difference in speed between the two, assuming the file sent is the same one. The file headers will be encoded differently, which could affect how quickly the packets are reassembled, but it will not affect transmission speed between two parties.
Network Know-How
On the technical side, many users assume IPv4 and IPv6 cannot coexist in the same network for IP video. This results in IPv6 deployments that mistakenly throw out perfectly good IPv4 equipment for IPv6 replacements. A complete system may become woefully lacking if it chooses to implement IPv6 this way. The original NAT infrastructure in IPv4 may also be replaced by administrators who don't understand IPv6's characteristics. In fact, IPv6 generates a large amount of addresses, making NAT unnecessary. However, NAT does not need to be thrown out; network administrators just need to turn off address translation. IPv6 removes the need for complicated address switching, making it advantageous for network management.
Currently, the most pressing issue for network video is firewalls. Servers and firewalls cannot support both IPv4 and IPv6 HTTP infrastructures, remaining an issue to work on. However, the majority of IPv6 problems come from misunderstanding applications, such as the coexistence of IPv6 with IPv4 on networks.
IPv4 has reached its limit. The future of online networks demands IPv6 protocols as a solution, to overcome the bottleneck of IPv4 exhaustion. Longer addresses going from 32 bits to 128 bits will resolve this issue. While present IPv4 investments are delaying IPv6 adoption, it is the long-term solution to network problems. IPv6 satisfies our present demands for IP addresses, as we migrate to dynamic IP addresses on a large scale. Regardless of technical or usage issues, IPv6 is the standard for networking in the years to come.