What is the main difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 was introduced in the 1970s. You may be aware that once we connect our devices to the internet, they are assigned a unique id. More specifically, when two routers begin communicating, they are assigned a unique IP address. Then our gadgets, such as PDAs, computers, and other mobile devices, connect to the internet via nearby routing devices. There could be a lot of intermediary routers in front of them. The main differences between IPv4 and IPv6 systems are discussed in this article.
We know that IPv4 applications can still be used in IPv6 networks. Because the IPv6 system is backwards compatible with the IPv4 system. When you buy new hardware, it comes pre-configured with IPv6.
Difference in number of addressing bits in IPv4 vs. IPv6
IPv4 addresses are 32 bits long, while IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long. You may be aware that the number of internet-connected gadgets is currently 5-6 times the total number of people on the planet. To assign IP addresses to all devices, IPv4 is insufficient. On the other hand, the number of internet-connected gadgets is rapidly increasing. In this condition, IPv4 can only provide IP addresses to about 20% of the world's population.
IPv4 can only assign IP addresses to 2^(32) devices, however IPv6 can assign IP addresses to 2^(128) devices. If you tally up the numbers, you'll realize that we can assign IPv6 addresses to each and every sand particle in deserts.
IPv4 vs. IPv6 Header Differences
The IPv4 header is 24 bytes long. We need only 8 bytes for source and destination addresses, and the remaining 16 bytes are used for 12 extra fields. The IPv6 header is only 40 bytes long. The source address is 16 bytes long, the destination address is 16 bytes long, and the header generation portion is 8 bytes long. In comparison to IPv4 networks, IPv6 networks employ a simpler header.
IPv6 has an auto-configuration feature
One of the most significant advantages is that IPv6 is auto-configurable. If you're familiar with IP addresses, you'll notice that devices connected to the same routers use the same prefixes. It is not auto-configurable for IPv4. In the case of IPv6, however, IP addresses are automatically assigned. In this situation, the router sends a prefix link, and connected devices are immediately assigned IP addresses with the same prefix.
IP addresses in IPv4 and IPv6 examples
IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long. Each sub block of the address block is split into eight sub blocks. Each portion has a 16-bit hexadecimal value. As an example,
Example of 128 bit IPv6 addresses
2010:0BB8:0000:0000:1212:A3AA:0FEF:0714
The IP address given above can be written as
2010:BB8:0:0:1212:A3AA:FEF:714
2010:BB8: : 1212:A3AA:FEF:714
In IPv6, consecutive zeros can be replaced with "::" as illustrated above.
We've already talked abut that the IPv6 network system can still utilize IPv4 addresses. I'll show how IPv4 addresses are represented in IPv6 networks.
For instance, consider the IPv4 address 192.168.0.3. Then, with IPv6, it's referred as
0:0:0:0:0:0:192.168.0.3
: : 192.168.0.3
How to find out what your internet-connected device's IP address is
When your device is connected to the internet, there are a number of websites where you can check your IP address. You may find your IP address by typing URL address "https://www.iplocation.net" into your browser.
What are the valid ipv6 addresses that can be used for communication across the Internet?
