. IPv4 and IPv6 are two generations of Internet Protocols.
. IPv4 was the first version deployed in year 1983.
. It contains 32-bit address which results in 4.3 billion addresses.
. But 4.3 billion address are not efficient to cover all the devices using internet.
. To overcome this problem, Internet Engineering Task Force developed new version of Internet Protocol namely IPv6 in 1990.
. It is 128-bit address which results in some trillions of unique address which are far enough to future use.
. IPv4 coexits with IPv6 untill the complete address spaces of IPv4 gets allocated.
. IPv4 coexits with IPv6 untill the complete address spaces of IPv4 gets allocated.
Advantages of IPv6 over IPv4:
. Auto configuration.
. Buit-in authentication and security.
. Infinite Address Spaces.
. No need of NAT(Network Address Translator).
. No need of DHCP servers to configure IP Addresses.
. More compatible with mobile networks.
. Allows bigger payloads.
. Buit-in authentication and security.
. Infinite Address Spaces.
. No need of NAT(Network Address Translator).
. No need of DHCP servers to configure IP Addresses.
. More compatible with mobile networks.
. Allows bigger payloads.
Differences between IPv4 and IPv6:
| Property | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| Address Length | 32 bits | 128 bits |
| Number of Addresses it supports | 4.3 billion | Infinite |
| Address Representation | Decimal format | Hexadecimal |
| Header | 20 bytes, 13 fields | 40 bytes, 8 fields |
| ISP Connectivity | Connects to IPv4 or both IPv4 and IPv6 | Many ISP don't have connectivity |
| Security | Lack of security | Has built in strong security |
| Domain Name System | Ex:A record provides domain name to IPv4 | Ex:AAAA record provides same domain name to IPv6 |
| Fragmentation | Done by sender and forwarding routers | Done by sender only |
| Configuration | Manual or DHCP server configures addresses | Auto configuration is available |
| Usage | 99% of networks use IPv4 | 1% shifted using IPv6 |