Skype 8 does not support ipv6

[Cameron Byrne]

On Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 7:55 AM, Dan York <york at isoc.org> wrote:
>
> On Nov 2, 2012, at 10:48 AM, Marc Blanchet <marc.blanchet at viagenie.ca> wrote:
>
>> rewind 10 years ago when Microsoft claimed that Vista and all Microsoft software was able to work in IPv6-only mode. I guess Microsoft Skype does not follow that promise.
>
> Ha!  Well, in fairness let's note that Microsoft's acquisition of Skype only closed a year ago (Oct 2011) and they've spent a substantial part of that year trying to figure out how to exist within Microsoft and also how to make Skype work well with Lync and now with Windows 8.  Now that they've got a lot of that integration work well underway let's see if they can start to look at some of these underlying issues.
>
> One point is that Skype's P2P routing and directory mechanism is proprietary and we've never really been able to see how they create their P2P networks and internal infrastructure.  It could be that perhaps there is a critical reliance on IPv4 addresses in some part of their system.  We don't have any way of knowing... but perhaps getting IPv6 support in there may be a very difficult undertaking.
>
> Dan

I don't doubt it is hard, their mapping system is largely based on
IPv4 addresses (AFAIK).

That said, the p2p model is dead at Skype.  See:
http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/05/skype-replaces-p2p-supernodes-with-linux-boxes-hosted-by-microsoft/

I figured that since they are now centralized, they would be able to
broker address families better now, but i have no idea what they are
up to.  This space of p2p communication is not particularly IPv6
friendly in reality, although theory would presume IPv6 would be great
for it.  I am hoping that WebRTC and VoLTE / IMS will be a pivot
points for IPv6 adoption in communications.

CB