The Transition to IPv6 — Tech & Meet Session by Nico Declerck
Today’s Tech & Meet session was fully dedicated to one topic: IPv6, the future of networking and the protocol that will eventually replace IPv4 completely.
The talk was delivered by Nico Declerck, network admin, Linux sysadmin, lecturer at Howest, Cisco instructor, researcher, and — very clearly — someone who has strong feelings about the future of internet addressing.
One message came through loud and clear:
Nico absolutely hates NAT.
And after today… it makes perfect sense.
Between sharp technical explanations, legendary slide transitions, and unexpected Bruges beer anecdotes, this session turned out to be one of the most entertaining deep dives into networking I’ve ever attended.
1. Why IPv6?
IPv4’s history, limitations, and the birth of NAT
Nico started by explaining how IPv4 got us this far, why it ran out of address space, and how NAT essentially revived a protocol that was already collapsing under its own limitations.
His explanation of IPv4 as a “zombie held together by NAT and hope” was followed by a seriously impressive slide where an AI-generated IPv4 zombie faded away with a dramatic animation that had the whole audience laughing.
To keep our attention sharp, the slides were sprinkled with AI images, something he openly said was needed “because our attention span in 2025 is basically zero.”
2. IPv6 Rising
Why the transition is happening now
The key points:
- ISPs already run dual-stack today
- large organisations are moving to IPv6-only segments
- SMEs are now beginning the transition
- IPv4 exhaustion keeps getting worse
- NAT adds complexity, latency, and security issues
Nico emphasized that:
IPv6 is the long-term path, everything else is temporary workarounds.
3. Transition Strategies
IPv6-only, dual-stack & real-world risks
This part was full of practical examples:
- dual-stack deployment in real infrastructures
- firewall and routing changes needed for IPv6
- proper DNS configuration
- how IPv6 can simplify certain network designs
- when IPv6-only becomes viable
- potential risks of staying IPv4-only
It wasn’t just theory, the talk showed actual network topologies, example configs, and good security practices for both stacks.
4. The Nico Experience™
Chaos, Bruges stories, and anti-NAT energy
The technical content was great, but the session itself was even better:
- random Bruges history
- beer and tax jokes
- philosophical one-liners (“life is temporary, like IPv4”)
- commentary about local infrastructure budgets
- Nico walking slowly across the room like a wise network sage
- intense hatred toward NAT
The chaotic flow somehow made the session even more memorable.
5. Final Thoughts
Today’s session made the situation clear:
- IPv6 transition is happening now
- dual-stack is the realistic approach for most environments
- IPv4 is becoming harder and more expensive to maintain
- NAT is not a long-term solution (Nico would say not even a short-term one)
This Tech & Meet was a perfect mix of humor, real networking knowledge, and strong technical insights.
A great talk — informative, honest, and definitely unforgettable.