IPv6 and your smartphone battery life

[foxidrive]

Interesting!

Two engineers from Cisco and Google have raised the problem of IPv6 networks that drain smartphone battery life and issued a series of tips for other network admins on why and how to properly configure their networks. The problem is because of Router Advertisements (RAs). These are periodic messages sent by the router to all network clients telling them its IPv6 address, at which it can be reached. Apparently some networks are sending these as often as every 3 seconds, while the engineers say the proper interval should be 7 per hour. Hence the reason why your battery life is often drained even if your phone is in sleep mode, but connected to a local network.

 

[misi]

Interesting!

Very much!
Seems switching off Wi-Fi is the way to go.

Additionally, the researchers are also hoping that device manufacturers also chip in, and implement device-side limitations that drop RAs that are sent at too smaller intervals, which could also protect against rogue network that may launch DoS (Denial of Service) attacks aimed at the device's battery.

 

[foxidrive]

I think the ISP/Phone network could also send this data because they are handing the phone an IP address. It would be pretty certain that large ISPs/Phone providers will be aware of this and take steps to fix it though.

 

[misi]

I think the ISP/Phone network could also send this data because they are handing the phone an IP address.

Not mine...Mobile data is off most of the time.
On only in some kind of emergency.

 

[foxidrive]

Mobile data is off most of the time.

I do that too.

That IPv6 thing isn't likely to happen with mobile companies - just that it could with a smaller crowd.