ZyXEL offers IPv6 upgrade for business gateways, switches

With security a growing concern for networks transitioning to a dual-coexistence, IPv4/IPv6 structure, ZyXEL on Tuesday announced a software upgrade for its entire line of business security gateways and its managed gigabit Ethernet switches that provides IPv6 support.

ZyXEL 2200 gateways

ZyXEL's GS2200 series security gateways.

The upgrades are free to current ZyXEL customers and can be downloaded from the company's website, listed as ZLD3.0 firmware for security devices and the ZyNOS 4.0 software upgrade for the GS2200 series Ethernet switches.

ZyXEL's software upgrade on its USG series of security gateways and its GS2200 series of GigE switches squarely targets its business customers and channel partners that are in the midst of either planning or actively transitioning from running legacy IPv4 networks to dual-stack environments that include IPv6 capability. Having IPv6-compliant gateways and switches in place removes one more step in that transition.

"We evaluate our customers' needs on an ongoing basis, which is why we're offering our latest IPv6-certified software upgrade for free," said Stephen Joe, ZyXEL's EVP of channel business for Americas, in a company release. "IPv6 is the way of the new Internet and we are committed to making it available to all our business customers and partners."

Enabling equipment for IPv6 has not been without its share of hiccups for other service providers. Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) recently halted its rollout of v6-enabled cable modems provided by NETGEAR (Nasdaq: NTGR) due to a compatibility issue that knocked out service to some of its subscribers.

For more:
- see the news release

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