The good news is, it works! The bad news is, not with Comcast apparently. More on that later. First things first, here’s a screenshot of my current setup.

Linksys E4200 IPv6 Configuration Dialog

The first thing you’ll notice is that I had to disable the Automatic mode. That’s the “doesn’t work with Comcast” part. I put it in place, rebooted it a few times, released and renewed my IP, nothing. It could be my modem, but I doubt it. I’m using a DOCSIS 3.0 compliant surfboard which should be IPv6 compliant. Maybe it’s Comcast, but who knows?

In order to get this working, flip the “IPv6 – Automatic” toggle to Disabled, then put the “6rd Tunnel” to Manual Configuration. (The “Automatic Configuration” of the 6rd Tunnel didn’t work either.) Once you’re in Manual mode, you can head on over to tunnelbroker.net and create yourself a login and a new tunnel. (Note : You’ll have to enable ping in order for Tunnel Broker to work. Go to Security -> Firewall and clear the check box next to “Filter Anonymous Internet Requests“. This will allow ICMP requests to come through and Tunnel Broker will allow you to create a tunnel.) Once you have the tunnel created, enter the “Server IPv4 Address” from tunnel broker into the “Border Relay” field on the E4200. Now enter the “Routed /64” from tunnel broker into the “Prefix” on the E4200. (Note : You need to get rid of the “::/64″ off of the end of the field that tunnel broker gives you.) Put “64” into the Prefix Length and “32” into the IPv4 Address Mask and Save Settings.

Head over to Status -> Router and at the very bottom, you should see “Tunnel Status:  Connected“. If you don’t, hit the Connect button. One thing, I did have to release and renew my IPv4 address for some reason. Probably because I was fiddling with all of the tunnel configurations, trying to get this thing to work.

Good luck and if anyone has any luck connecting to Comcast in Automatic mode, let me know. I’d love to go native instead of tunneling!

Fortunately the new WRT610N solves most of those problems. The simultaneous 2.4/5ghz radios make life really nice and performance is good. I’m now able to run all of my 802.11n gear on 5ghz while 802.11g stays on 2.4ghz. Each radio can also be restricted accordingly. Very handy. Well done Linksys. The updated features of the firmware are always welcome as well. More granular control over the system for those who need it definitely helps. And then there are those surprise features that we get from time to time.

I’ve recently started running IPv6 on my home network for the enhanced features that are offered. Things that were extensions in v4 are part of the standard in v6 and can make life nice, especially in high throughput situations. Imagine my surprise when I was updating my Ubuntu box and noticed that the WINE mirrors’ IP address was a v6 one! So apparently, the WRT610N does IPv6, it just doesn’t tell you! This is some scary stuff folks, imagine that modern operating systems come with IPv6 enabled and people go and buy this router, not knowing that their doors are now open via a whole new protocol. Granted, most home users will never know, but I seriously wonder if the firewall in the 610N has v6 support.

Let’s hope that Linksys is one step ahead of us here or a lot of users are about to get their horizons broadened when the hackers start coming in via IPv6.

For those who are unfamiliar with IPv6 and would like to know more, Ars Technica has a nice primer. Read more here.

And the other thing… how many YEARS does it take to create a specification? I realize that this is some complicated stuff… i’m not doubting that or trying to downplay the complexity of Wi-Fi. But I have a feeling that there are now a lot of players involved and the spec is really getting held up more by political problems, rather than actual technical issues. This always happens. In the early days of a technology, it’s just a few smart guys in a room who build something neat and make a product out of it. Once it catches on, the big business gets involved and then the consumer sits and waits while everyone argues about what color the new logo is going to be.

So, let’s just hope that this spec makes the grade. Every review i’ve read for the original 802.11n Draft spec has been dismal at best. I have to be honest, I haven’t been impressed with wireless gear since the days of the early Cisco/Aironet 802.11b products. I’ll probably never have kids because of the waves those things put out, but man did they have some range! Then again, that was commercial grade wireless. I have yet to be impressed with consumer grade wireless. The signal is always poor, the antennae are always crap, and the features are always lacking. “Good enough for most people” is about the best I can hope for with consumer grade.

Good luck 802.11n! I wish you well and hope you’ll bring me some decent speeds… but after the recent announcement of yet another draft and yet another delay, my hopes aren’t exactly high. But hey, there’s a new logo out! That’s important when marketing a technology! Get the logo done!

One final note on this one… Nice trick here guys. Very nice. Two drafts and a final spec = 3 lines of products… that means there is potential for people to buy their gear THREE TIMES! Woo hoo! Good for you! You’ve figured out how to sell nearly identical hardware three times!