Reflections on Middlebox Detection Mechanisms in IPv 6 Transition

Middleboxes performing Network Address Translation (NAT) have gained a positive role in the IPv6 transition by enabling interoperability of different IP versions, i.e., IPv4 and IPv6. Although the NAT-based mechanisms pave the way for a smooth adoption of IPv6 in the transition, we shall be prudent towards such middlebox-oriented approach due to its complexity and overhead for end users and network services. In this position paper, we discuss the middlebox detection mechanisms designed for IPv6 transition, focusing on NAT64 in specific, and share our hands-on experience in protocol design and standardization. Based on our experimental findings, we identify issues in the existing approaches and offer suggestions to protocol designers and researchers. The goal is to improve our understanding of the middleboxes and hence leading to a more robust design of protocols for the evolving IPv6 Internet.

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