What is the purpose of IPv6?
IPv6 is the sixth version of the Internet Protocol’s IP address. IPs are a set of rules that a device must follow when sending and receiving data from a host to a destination. As a result, you’ll need a list of recognizable hosts, their locations, IP addresses, and a communication path.
Since 1995, Internet Protocol version 6 has been in use. Despite this, IPv4 addresses have been hard to come by, among other issues. Despite this, the majority of companies continue to use the IPv4 protocol. Furthermore, according to an Internet Standard (IETF) issued in 2017, IPv6 utilization is likely to increase in the near future.
Advantages of using it
IPv6 has a large number of benefits. Here are some of them:
- To start, Internet Protocol version 6 provides a significantly bigger address space than IPv4 addresses, more than doubling the length of network and host components.
- It will automatically configure your network’s stateless address (SLAAC). So, it will assign IP addresses to connected devices automatically. SLAAC will serve as a DHCP server (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). The automation of this job is hugely beneficial to the productivity of your network.
- If you own a network or a website, IP addresses are required for Domain Name resolution. Maybe you’re still relying on IPv4 and A DNS records for this. You will, however, migrate to IPv6 and AAAA sooner rather than later.
- It prevents packet fragmentation. IPv4 fragmentation was a problem. The reason for packet loss, man-in-the-middle attacks, and other topics. In the new version, this has been addressed.
- IPv6 is 5G, and its architecture is compatible with the Internet of the future.
IPv6 disadvantages
And of course, there are many disadvantages. Some of them are as follows:
- IPv6 addresses are very long. They are tough to memorize since they include both letters and numbers. As a result, this can cause misspellings and, therefore, system issues to occur due to incorrect input.
- IPv4 addresses are short, making them easier to set out on a topology diagram. Fitting prefixes inside the IPv6 Protocol gets more complicated. In the case of Internet Protocol version 6, the text is scarcely readable.
- Configuring IPv6 addresses is difficult. What exactly does this mean? The majority of the devices we use, whether at home or at work, do not support IPv6. Therefore, migrating to this new protocol will involve time and resources.
IPv6 – Is it the future?
IPv6 offers several benefits, but it also has some drawbacks. However, will this prevent it from replacing IPv4 and becoming the new standard? The answer is no. Why? Because IPv4 is running out of steam as we all use it. This is why Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are attempting to offer it in every way possible, and their prices are rising as a result (if you want static IPv4). That means Internet Protocol version 6 is the way of the future, and we will all have to migrate to it.
Conclusion
Internet Protocol version 6 is the technology of the future, and we must embrace it as soon as possible. The current approach is dual-stack, but IPv6 functionality should also be considered. In terms of performance and convenience of use, it outperforms IPv4. However, it does not function on all older devices, and replacing them all with IPv6-compatible devices takes time.