There are lots of legacy things in tcp/ip headers. One of them can be for the extra octlet.
When ipv4 legacy flies around, that oclet will be null or 0. The entire internet could route just fine, especially if you put the extra octlet at the end. 1.1.1.1 gets an extra 1.1.1.1.newoctlet.
So every existing IP gets a bonus 255 new IPs, and for now, routing of those is hardlocked to that IP, and it works with all legacy gear.
In 30 years or something, we can care about the mobility of those new IPs.
alt Hacker News
There are lots of legacy things in tcp/ip headers. One of them can be for the extra octlet.
When ipv4 legacy flies around, that oclet will be null or 0. The entire internet could route just fine, especially if you put the extra octlet at the end. 1.1.1.1 gets an extra 1.1.1.1.newoctlet.
So every existing IP gets a bonus 255 new IPs, and for now, routing of those is hardlocked to that IP, and it works with all legacy gear.
In 30 years or something, we can care about the mobility of those new IPs.