News IPv6 coffee shop
March 2010: Andrews & Arnold Ltd and Santa-Fe in Bracknell are pleased to announce that the free broadband for customers of the coffee shop will now be able to use IPv6.
The service assigns an IPv6 address, starting 2001:8B0:CAFE:1344::, automatically, and access to any IPv6 web sites or services is available. This works automatically with most operating systems and needs no special configuration.
IP version 6 is the new version of internet protocol which is being deployed by internet providers in light of the impending exhaustion of IP version 4 addresses. The IPv4 addresses that have been used since the early days of the internet were conceived at a time when hand-held computing devices and mobile phones were not even dreamt of. The number of addresses available were thought to be more than enough. Changes in the way we all use computers means that IPv4 addresses are running out. Internet providers are getting ready for the next version, IPv6, which has enough addresses to give every atom on the planet its own address - so should never run out. Thew new IPv6 network works along side the existing IPv4 network. Over the next few years more and more services will be working on IPv6.
Andrews & Arnold Ltd have been providing IPv6 services for over 7 years, way ahead of most other internet providers, many of which are only just starting to offer IPv6. Even so, this is the first time we have set up a public access coffee shop with IPv6.
"This just shows how IPv6 can be a standard part of every internet services. We hope to source IPv6 supporting broadband routers soon so that we can make IPv6 run-of-the-mill for every new customer."
