IPv6 is a network layer protocol that allows communication and data transfers to take place over the network. It is the newest version of the Internet Protocol (IP) and was developed to address the problem of IPv4 address depletion due to prolonged internet use worldwide. IPv6 provides a solution to address the global issue of depleting address spaces due to increased demand for IP addresses due to technological advancements. Some key features and benefits of IPv6 include:
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More addresses: IPv6 allows for approximately 340 undecillion unique address space, which is significantly more than IPv4.
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Reliability: IPv6 was built from the ground up to be capable of end-to-end encryption, making man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks significantly more difficult.
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Faster speeds: IPv6 supports multicast addresses, meaning bandwidth-intensive packet flows like media streams can reach many destinations simultaneously, resulting in faster speeds.
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Better multicast routing: IPv6 simplifies processing of packets in routers by placing the responsibility for packet fragmentation into the end points.
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Improved security: IPv6 enforces more robust network security than IPv4. It has IPSecurity, which ensures data privacy and data integrity.
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Simpler address configuration: IPv6 simplifies aspects of address configuration, network renumbering, and router announcements when changing network connectivity providers.
While IPv6 has been around for a while, it is yet to gain total momentum. However, with wireless and network-attached devices increasing rapidly by the day, the internet will exhaust all unique IPv4 addresses at some point, making IPv6 adoption more necessary.
