Week 8 - IPv6

This week, we learned about IPv6 and the problem it addresses.

What is IPv6

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) assigns unique IP addresses to devices so they can communicate over the internet.

IPv6 was created because IPv4 addresses were limited to 32-bit addresses, and there were only about 4.3 billion addresses available. With the increase in devices on the internet, we were running out of available IPv4 addresses.

IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses and has approximately 340 undecillion unique address combinations.

Will IPv6 Takeover

The increase in available address combinations can accommodate the growing number of devices on the internet. However, it is unlikely that we will ever switch to IPv6 completely, since the internet is huge and old, and it would be expensive to change. Also, IPv6 is not backward-compatible with IPv4 devices without translation. We will likely see IPv4 fade into the background, but it will not be totally removed from the internet. 

Why Learn IPv6

Learning the ins and outs of IPv6 can help you avoid confusion as we move into this protocol. It will help with troubleshooting and make modern networking easier. It is recommended to stay up to date on new developments in the IT world, and IPv6 knowledge is a great place to start.