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IPv6

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the new version of the Internet Protocol (IP). The Internet Protocol allows numerous nodes on different networks to interoperate seamlessly. Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is currently used in intranets and private networks, as well as the Internet. IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, and is based for the most part on IPv4.

IPv4 has been widely deployed and used to network the Internet today. With the rapid growth of the Internet, enhancements to IPv4 are needed to support the influx of new subscribers, Internet-enabled devices, and applications. IPv6 is designed to enable the global expansion of the Internet.

IPv6 builds upon the functionality of IPv4, providing improvements to addressing, configuration and maintenance, and security.

IPv6 offers the following benefits:

Expanded addressing capabilities—IPv6 provides a larger address space. IPv6 addresses consist of 128 bits, while IPv4 addresses consist of 32 bits. 128-bit addressing increases the address space by approximately 1029 unique addresses, enough to last for the forseeable future.
Header format simplification—IPv6 packet header format is designed to be efficient. IPv6 standardizes the size of the packet header to 40 bytes, divided into 8 fields.
Improved support for extensions and options—Extension headers carry Internet-layer information and have a standard size and structure.
Flow labeling capability—Flow labels provide consistent handling of packets belonging to the same flow.
Improved privacy and security—IPv6 supports extensions for authentication and data integrity, which enhance privacy and security.

This section discusses the following topics:

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