It's only ARP. It works. So how much can it really matter? The answer lies beyond ARP itself, in the IPv4 layer cake that grew around it over four decades. The IPv4 internet is not going away in bounded time, and nobody should pretend otherwise.

IPv6-only networks often still depend on IPv4 subnets and ARP. This article introduces an IETF proposal to eliminate both, allowing IPv4 to operate as a service over IPv6-only infrastructure without translation or tunnelling.

The IETF 126 Vienna meeting takes place 18–24 July 2026. As at every IETF meeting, alongside the established Working Groups there will be a handful of Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) sessions - and these are often the most interesting place to watch where Internet standards work is heading next.