What is IPv6?

John Savill

March 8, 1999

1 Min Read
ITPro Today logo in a gray background | ITPro Today

A. IPv6 is the next verions of the Internet Protocol, version 6.0hence IPv6.

Current computers use IP version 4.0 which despite being created in themid-1970's has done very well however it has reached its limit and is about torun out of addresses and is not the most bandwidth friendly protocol so itstime for an upgrade.

Below are the 4 main reasons that IP version 4.0 needs an upgrade:

  • Address space limitation - Basically there are not many IP addresses leftand with everything from watches having IP addresses we need more

  • Performance - IP has a very strict header format which can waste a greatdeal of bandwidth

  • Security - The next version of IP has excellent security measures which upto now have had to be handled by higher layers

  • Autoconfigure - IP configuration is quite complex and which DHCP moves toimprove this the next version allows a computer to just plug into the networkand go

Current IP addresses consist of 32 bits, represented as 4 bytes, dotted-quadformat, e.g. 200.200.200.202. IP version 6 uses 128 bits for addresses!

IPv6 is defined in the following RFC's (Request for Comments)

  • RFC 1287 - Towards the Future InternetArchitecture

  • RFC 1454 - Comparison of Proposals for NextVersion of IP

  • RFC 2373 - IPv6 Addressing Architecture

  • RFC 2374 - IPv6 Global Unicast Address Format

  • RFC 2460 - IPv6 Specification

About the Author

John Savill

John Savill

https://savilltech.net

See more from John Savill
Sign up for the ITPro Today newsletter
Stay on top of the IT universe with commentary, news analysis, how-to's, and tips delivered to your inbox daily.
Newsletter Sign-Up

You May Also Like

Editor's Choice

a stressed employee at their laptop and collaboration icons gone amok
Unified Communications
Microsoft Teams Is Acting Up. What Can We Do?Microsoft Teams Is Acting Up. What Can We Do?
byBrien Posey
Sep 12, 2024
4 Min Read
person placing a block between two columns of blocks
IT Management
Data Skills Gap Is Hampering Productivity; Is Upskilling the Answer?Data Skills Gap Is Hampering Productivity; Is Upskilling the Answer?
byNathan Eddy
Sep 7, 2024
7 Min Read
data privacy quiz sample question above a desk
Data Privacy
Data Privacy Quiz: 20 Questions To Test Your KnowledgeData Privacy Quiz: 20 Questions To Test Your Knowledge
byIan Horowitz
Aug 30, 2024
1 Min Read
Exclusive ITPro Resources
See all ITPro Resources

Featured How Tos

tablet with "cloud computing" on the screen on top of financial documents and calculator
Cloud Computing
Guide to Cloud Computing ETFsGuide to Cloud Computing ETFs
A cartoon of a person sitting at a computer, with speech bubbles—one from the person saying Hello and one from the computer responding with Hello
PowerShell
PowerShell Speech Recognition: How To Set up Voice Commands and ResponsesPowerShell Speech Recognition: Set up Voice Commands and Responses
Migrating From VMware Guide cover
VMWare
Migrating From VMware: Guide to a Successful TransitionMigrating From VMware: Guide to a Successful Transition
Sign up for the ITPro Today newsletter
Stay on top of the IT universe with commentary, news analysis, how-to's, and tips delivered to your inbox daily.
Newsletter Sign-Up
Trending

Recent What Is

list of domains within the umbrella category of IT security
IT Security
What Is IT Security? Essentials of IT Security ExplainedWhat Is IT Security? Essentials of IT Security Explained
ITPro Today's tech careers quick reference guide cover
Career Management
Tech Careers: Quick Reference Guide to IT Job TitlesTech Careers: Quick Reference Guide to IT Job Titles