IPv6, or Internal Protocol version 6, is the sixth iteration of the Internet Protocol suite. It is a standard that is used for identifying devices and routing traffic between them across networks. It was developed in the late-1990s and officially deployed in 2012. Although the fourth version of the Internet protocol, IPv4, remains the most widely used at current, IPv6 will soon become the worldwide standard.
What is an IPv6 address?
When communicating using the Internet Protocol, all devices on a network are assigned a specific and unique numerical sequence. This sequence, known as an IP address, acts as a unique identifier for that device on a network.
IPv6 uses a 128-address space for its addresses, which are made up of 8 sixteen-bit numbers, each separated by a decimal point. Each unique sequence of numbers represents a unique IPv6 address that can identify a specific device.
What are the benefits of using IPv6?
In essence, IPv6 serves much the same function as its predecessor, IPv4. However, the most notable difference between the two versions is the address space.
IPv4, which has been in widespread use since the early days of the Internet, uses a 32-bit space that allows for approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. However, the expansion of the Internet and proliferation of Internet-enabled devices has seen resulted in the IPv4 address pool being exhausted, necessitating the switch to IPv6.
With its 128-bit address space, IPv6 can provide a far greater range of permutations, which means a deeper pool of IP addresses. In addition, IPv6 offers other notable advantages over IPv4. These include built-in IPSec for protection against network attacks, better support for mobile devices, and autoconfiguration, which enables more efficient network connection.
Why aren’t people using IPv6 yet?
In spite of the clear benefits of IPv6, it is not yet in widespread use. This is largely due to the fact that the legacy protocol, IPv4, is still more widely supported by the hardware and software that most people are using today. Moreover, not all internet service providers (ISPs) have been quick to adopt IPv6, and as a result, connections to IPv6-enabled services have not always been optimal so far.
Simply put, the support for IPv6 is not yet where it needs to be in order for it to see widespread use on a global scale. In addition, the use of Network Address Translation (NAT), which lets multiple devices share an IP address, has extended the life of IPv4, temporarily staving off the transition to IPv6.
Nonetheless, it is a certainty that a large-scale switch to IPv6 will take place in the coming years.
Conclusion
To sum up, Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6, is an internet protocol for identifying devices and routing data over networks. While it is not currently in widespread use, it boasts clear advantages over IPv4, such as better security, smoother connectivity, and the ability to support a significantly larger pool of addresses due to its 128-bit address space. As such, it is guaranteed to become the global standard in the near future.
