IPv6+Implementation




 * Topic:** IPv6 Implementation


 * Description:** IPv6, **I**nternet **P**rotocol **V**ersion **6**, is the next generation of web protocol that seeks to replace IPv4, the current version. Currently, IPv4 is over twenty years old and has several flaws that need to be corrected, hence the creation of IPv6. IPv6 is used to send and receive packet data across a network using internet protocol. One of the main features that IPv6 seeks to correct is the the limited number of available addresses in IPv4. It also hopes to add security to the protocol to make it much more secure as well. IPv6 is also backwards compatable with IPv4, meaning that it can still run the older versions if it needs to.

A major change for IPv6 versus IPv4 is the reintegration of the hexadecimal system. By using this system rather than standard IP addresses, this protocol can handle a much larger amount of addresses. IPv6 increases the address space from 32 to 128 bits. In comparison, IPv4 can handle 4,294,967,296 addresses, whereas IPv6 can handle 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses (ex: more IP addresses than grains of sand on Earth). This will provide an immense addition to internet protocol to handle unique addresses for years to come. This allows for a steady growth of the internet by accomodating more hosts and internet traffic. The hexidecimal system also makes IPv6 addresses easier to deal with by making them shorter. In dotted decimal, used in IPv4, IPv6 address would be 16 numbers long compared to 4 numbers in IPv4. Hexidecimal system shortens IPv6 addresses to eight numbers.


 * Applications:** This new technology can be used to complete internet transactions much faster than current technology allows. In addition, IPv6 will provide networks with security by default. Because implementing a new protocol will take vast amounts of time, IPv6 will also create new jobs and is vital to such occupations as network administration, web administration, security specialists, and software development.


 * Web Resources: [|Wikipedia] [|IPv6.org]** **[|Computing-Dictionary] [|Webopedia] [|Microsoft IPv6] [|TCP/IP Guide]**


 * Terminology:** IPv6, v6tun, Server, Client