Most of the Internet is still operating with the IP Version 4 protocol, or IPV4 for short. However, IPV4 runs out of address space this year just as the demand for address space has grown greater than ever.
The next generation of the protocol, IPV6, or Version 6, has already started to roll out globally. All popular operating systems, including Windows, support it. The switch from Version 4 to Version 6 is nearly invisible and effortless for most Internet users. Version 6 allows for access to everything in Version 4, while providing a vastly expanded address space that should be sufficient well into the future.
InfoWeb has been working to support IPV6, and as of May 27th, started providing native IPV6 service in the European region at europe.iwsearch.net. Service began for North American users at search.iwsearch.net and for South American users at sa.iwsearch.net on June 2nd. No date has been set for our rollout in Asia or Oceania, but we are actively working on it.
Coincidentally, our rollout of IPV6 is just in time for World IPV6 Day. This is an event created by the Internet Society scheduled for Jun 8th, 2011. Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, and others will also be participating in this event. For more information, visit the World IPV6 Day Home Page.
How can you tell when you are using our site in native IPV6 mode? Search result pages are easiest. Perform a search at http://search.iwsearch.net and look at the fine print under the top leaderboard ad on the results page. You’ll see your IP address. IPV4 addresses appear in the form 111.222.333.444, while IPV6 addresses are much longer, and the numbers are separated by colons (:). Of course, IPV6 access is only possible if your ISP has provided you with it, and your computer is properly configured. Otherwise, you’ll see an IPV4 address displayed.