The IESG has approved the following document: - 'Assignment of an Ethertype for IPv6 with LoWPAN Encapsulation' (draft-ietf-6lo-ethertype-request-01.txt) as Informational RFC This document is the product of the IPv6 over Networks of Resource-constrained Nodes Working Group. The IESG contact persons are Suresh Krishnan and Terry Manderson. A URL of this Internet Draft is: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-6lo-ethertype-request/ Technical Summary IETF currently defines format for IPV6[RFC2460] with LOWPAN encapsulation in RFC4944. However the L2 MAC frame is using the same ethertype for both IPv6 datagram[RFC2460] and IPv6 with LOWPAN encapsulation[RFC4944]. This works fine when RFC4944 was written for only IEEE802.15.4 L2 medium. As time progressed, several other ethertype based L2 technolgies found usefulness in using RFC4944 defined LOWPAN encapsulation methods for optimized usage of IPv6 in certain use cases. For example, Wi-SUN Alliance intends to use the 15.9 Multiplexed Data Information Element to dispatch LoWPAN encapsulation frames to upper stack layers. As specified in IEEE 802.15.9, dispatch of LoWPAN encapsulation frames will require an Ethertype be assigned for LoWPAN encapsulation. WiFi Alliance's HALOW standard ( Low power operation in 900 MHZ band) and other L2 technolgies such as Ethernet and Wireshark will benefit from having a separate ethertype for IPv6 datagrams with LOWPAN encapsulation. Additionally, any existing or future Layer 2 technology, incorporating Ethertype based upper layer dispatch, can use the Ethertype proposed in this document to dispatch LoWPAN encapsulated IPv6 datagrams. Working Group Summary The document had the strong support of the 6lo WG. There were no particular points of controversy. Document Quality The document has been reviewed over the 6lo WG mailing list and has been discussed with multiple comments. The chairs have reviewed the document as well. Personnel Samita Chakrabarti is the document shepherd. Suresh Krishnan is the responsible AD.
