More and more often, at least in terms of browsing websites, you may come across comprehensive information that the IPv4 address pool is shrinking and needs to be replaced with the IPv6 protocol. These IPv symbols you may also come across if configuring a home router, laptop or network devices and servers. What does these abbreviations mean and what is the impact on an ordinary user?
IP stands for "Internet Protocol" - the communication protocol, which allows all the above devices communicate through to the Internet. Each device connected to the global network has a unique IP address. It can be likened to the address of our apartment -there is only one address of the building in the world, which allows you to uniquely identify it.All data sent over the Internet (email, information from websites, multimedia, . . . ) are grouped in packages and sent between interconnected devices (computers, routers, servers), each of which must have its own unique IP address. Web servers are able to automatically convert a website address or email account to an IP address, so this in general makes it possible to communicate online.
Currently the most popular and the most common is the IP version fourth - IPv4. It is supported without any problem by all devices attached to the Internet. However, a couple of year's back tells us that we are approaching the moment when the pool of available IPv4 addresses runs out. What does this mean in practice?
Not taking any action would mean that new users could not find a place in cyberspace. This is very important because today not only computers of individual users have the IP address, but also their cell phones, servers and all other devices that use the Internet. The prospect of a rapid exhaustion of the IPv4 address pool led Microsoft in March 2011 to purchase the pool of 666 thousand IP addresses for the substantial amount of 7. 5 billion USD.
The successor to IPv4 protocol is protocol IPv6 - its base outlined already in 1995. The difference in the number of available IPv6 addresses can be seen easily. While IPv4 offers 32-bit addresses (the number of IPv4 addresses is 2 ^ 32, i.e. approx. 4. 29 billion addresses), the IPv6 protocol has 128-bit addresses, resulting in their number: 340 282 366 920 938 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000. At this point, every grain of sand on the planet could have IP address.
While most of the devices connected to the network still uses the IPv4 addresses, most of them are compatible with both protocols. But soon the moment the mass transition to IPv6 will come , especially that this Protocol also guarantees more stable and secure data transfer, not just the incredibly large number of available addresses.
The whole world is looking at IPv6. . .
. . . and even tries to use it. In June 8, 2011 an official IPv6 Day took place , during which the world's largest companies based their activities on the Internet as part of the experiment, switched their network infrastructure to the IPv6 protocol. The experiment was successful, as we have not heard about impossibility to use Internet search engines or download updates to our software on that day.
At the same time myths was overthrown relating to the lack of readiness to support IPv6. Most devices used by companies and private users for a long time now are ready for both IPv4 or IPv6. So unless you are using extremely old computers or operating systems for the Web communication, you should not feel any difference.
Not taking any action would mean that new users could not find a place in cyberspace. This is very important because today not only computers of individual users have the IP address, but also their cell phones, servers and all other devices that use the Internet. The prospect of a rapid exhaustion of the IPv4 address pool led Microsoft in March 2011 to purchase the pool of 666 thousand IP addresses for the substantial amount of 7. 5 billion USD.
The successor to IPv4 protocol is protocol IPv6 - its base outlined already in 1995. The difference in the number of available IPv6 addresses can be seen easily. While IPv4 offers 32-bit addresses (the number of IPv4 addresses is 2 ^ 32, i.e. approx. 4. 29 billion addresses), the IPv6 protocol has 128-bit addresses, resulting in their number: 340 282 366 920 938 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000. At this point, every grain of sand on the planet could have IP address.
While most of the devices connected to the network still uses the IPv4 addresses, most of them are compatible with both protocols. But soon the moment the mass transition to IPv6 will come , especially that this Protocol also guarantees more stable and secure data transfer, not just the incredibly large number of available addresses.
The whole world is looking at IPv6. . .
. . . and even tries to use it. In June 8, 2011 an official IPv6 Day took place , during which the world's largest companies based their activities on the Internet as part of the experiment, switched their network infrastructure to the IPv6 protocol. The experiment was successful, as we have not heard about impossibility to use Internet search engines or download updates to our software on that day.
At the same time myths was overthrown relating to the lack of readiness to support IPv6. Most devices used by companies and private users for a long time now are ready for both IPv4 or IPv6. So unless you are using extremely old computers or operating systems for the Web communication, you should not feel any difference.
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