Everything you should know about IPv6

Importance of IPv6 for businesses

What is IPv6?

IPv6 is an abbreviation for Internet Protocol Version 6. It is an upgraded version of IPv4. Before IPv6 was phased out, everyone was using IPv4 which has certain limitations. Internet Protocol technology is meant to number the addresses to each internet-connected computing devices. In a nutshell, it is an internet addressing system required to use the internet services. Just like the number plates on our vehicle determine the details of the owner, similarly, an IP address determines brief details of the computing devices.

As soon as the Internet became the part of our living, demands for IP addresses increased. the limitations of IPv4 made it insufficient to meet the dynamic growth of internet users and the multiple systems that were getting connected to the internet.

IPv4 functions by using 32-bits of recombined digits, which is capable of generating only 4.3 billion possible addresses. Although, that number sounds too big, but consider each computer, smartphone, tabs, ATMs, Printers, game consoles and even soda machines connected to the internet. It was very small to fulfill the growing demands.

Before we could run out of the limited internet addresses, IPv6 was introduced with better addressing system. Unlike IPv4 that uses 32-bits of recombined digits, IPv6 uses 128 bits to number the address. It can generate enough addresses (if not infinite) that internet devices require till the foreseeable future.

Importance of IPv6 for businesses:

Apart from being devised to generate an unlimited internet address, IPv6 has many other added advantages too.

  • Auto-configuration feature: Easy and cheap network management
  • Greater degree of security: Internet Protocol version 6 comes with IPSEC security system
  • Encourages innovation: With unlimited IP addresses and scalable capabilities, IPv6 offers innovation advantage

When is the world expected to have fully shifted to IPv6?

Although many users have already made the switch, but a significant number of people are still using IPv4. The good news is that IPv6 is now the universal standard, so we can expect everyone to use IPv6 very soon. However, switching to IPv6 is a complex process, so the transition will take its due time. Corporates as well government have already started the transition to IPv6 servers.