Xbox One will work better with IPV6. But how?.
According to Microsoft, if you want to enjoy the best online experience on Xbox One, you should use the IPv6 protocol on your Internet connection. The Xbox One supports IPv6 natively, and using this protocol should mean lower latency in multiplayer games and higher overall speed, plus the data you transmit over the network of networks should be more secure and private. The problem is that finding an Internet provider that provides IPv6 is very complicated, at least in Spain.
What is IPv6?
IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, the address plane used by any and all devices connected to the Internet (and even those simply connected to a local area network (LAN)). When you refer to an IP address (for example 192.168.0.101) you are actually talking about an IPv4 address. The problem with this protocol is that by virtue it is a 32-bit number that “only” allows about 4.3 billion different addresses, ergo there could only be that number of devices connected to the Internet (keep one thing in mind in this regard, and it is the increasingly growing number of smartphones and tablets). Through NAT (Network Address Translation) it has been possible to extend the life of IPv4, since it allows several devices to coexist under the same public IPv4 address, but this has only been a temporary “tip”, since we all knew that the number of addresses, finite, would eventually run out. To give you an example, at this time the European (RIPE) and Asian (APNIC) registries no longer have IPv4 addresses available. In America and Africa they still have a few million available, but they will run out soon.
With IPv6, 128-bit numbers would be used, allowing for over 340 sextillion possible addresses (that’s 340 followed by 26 zeroes), far more addresses than we’ll ever need. This means that NAT, which causes slowness and problems with Firewalls and P2P protocols, could also be eliminated, thus significantly improving the Internet browsing experience. IPv6 also introduces IPsec, a technology built specifically for IPv6 that authenticates and encrypts every packet on the connection, dramatically increasing privacy and data security. IPsec can also be implemented even in P2P communications between, for example, two Xbox One game consoles.
Once given the technical explanation…
How do I implement IPv6 on the Xbox One?
As we mentioned at the beginning, the hard part is finding an Internet provider capable of providing you with an IPv6 configuration in your area, which is certainly very sad. At present, the most important Internet providers in Spain are already working on it.
- Jazztel: You have acknowledged that you are carrying out laboratory tests, and in fact some of the ADSL2+ and VDSL routers that you are distributing to your customers are already compatible with IPv6.
- ONO: You intend to offer IPv6 before the end of the year. All of its new DOCSIS 3 routers are compatible with IPv6, which is why it is the one with the most promises to be a pioneer in Spain. Euskaltel in the Basque Country, R in Galicia and Telecable in Asturias are in a similar situation.
- Telefónica Movistar: Like Jazztel, they are in the testing phase, and apparently they already have some pilot users, although none of the standard routers they distribute are compatible with IPv6.
- Orange: As far as is known, there are no plans in this regard, although it has already reserved a handful of IPv6 addresses for the corporate environment.
- Vodafone: It has a range of IPv6 addresses inherited from Comunitel, although it is known that it has not done anything about it yet.
Bottom line: Microsoft has designed the Xbox One with a vision of the future, which is at least good news for users. For the rest, we will have to wait (as always), but at least we hope that this little technical information has been useful for you.
News source: Extremetech. You can find more information about the state of IPv6 in Spain at IPv6es.es
