What Is IPv6?

By Anup M More

Introduction to IPv6

The internet is a network that interconnects millions of computers worldwide. For this communication to occur, each connected device requires a unique address, which distinguishes it from others. This is the function of IP (Internet Protocol). The problem is that with each passing day, more and more computers are connected to the internet (read computers in general, i.e., PCs, servers, smart phone's, tablets, etc... ), and because of that, the number of IP addresses available is running low. Therein enters the scene IPv6 stands for Internet Protocol version 6. In this article, you will learn a bit of the operation of this protocol and understand how it can solve the problem of internet addresses.

Internet Protocol (IP)

Before jumping into the IPv6 issue itself, it is important to know the IPv4, which we conventionally call only IP. IPv4 is composed of a sequence number in the following format: xxxx, where x is a number that can go from 0 to 255, for example:

173.194.34.88

For each computer connected to the Internet has a unique IP address, an entity named IANA / ICANN distributes "quota" of IP for all parts of the world. These quotas are administered by regional entities which in turn, pass on to providers, also called ISP (Internet Service Provider).

When you hire a company to provide Internet access to your home, for example, the provider will provide an IP address of its quota (in most cases, this address changes each connection) to connect your computer to the internet or your network. Websites also have IP address, after all, is stored on servers that are obviously connected to the internet.

The IPv4 format is a sequence of 32 bits (or four sets of 8 bits) and this allows theoretically the creation of up to 4,294,967,296 addresses. A very large amount, isn't it? But, believe it or not, soon it will be insufficient.

This problem exists because the internet was not planned so as to be as large. The original idea was to create a communication system that interconnects research centers. Only when the internet started to be used in a broad sense it was clear that the maximum number of IP addresses could be achieved in a relatively near future. It was from this realization that the project IPng (Internet Protocol next generation) began, giving rise to what is known as IPv6.

Depletion of IP addresses

It is not difficult to understand why there was an exhaustion of addresses in IPv4 format. For starters, of these 4 billion combinations available, such as those that start at 10 and 127, for example, are reserved for local networks or for testing. In addition, there is a significant portion of addresses that are meant to institutions and large corporations.

But the main fact is that the world is increasingly connected. You can find access points provided by Wi-Fi networks in malls, restaurants, airports and even bus. Not to mention that it is increasingly common for the number of people who have broadband connection at home and also signing a plan 3G to access the internet on mobile or laptop from anywhere.

Remedial measures were taken to deal with this issue, as the use of NAT (Network Address Translation), a technique that allows a single IP address represents multiple computers, this scheme is applied to, for example, ISPs radio or even by operators offering 3G access.

The problem is that NAT and other measures taken have their limitations and at most only postpone the exhaustion so that a final and practical solution to be adopted. At this point, you already know that this solution goes by the name IPv6.

IPv6 Addresses

The creation of IPv6 consumed several years, after a number of parameters and requirements need to be observed that problems do not occur or at least be substantially mitigated in its implementation. In other words, it was necessary to make a technology - IPv4 - evolving, and not create a completely new standard.

The first noticeable difference between IPv4 and IPv6 is its format: the first consists of 32 bits, as already reported, whereas the second is comprised of 128 bits. Thus, theoretically, the number of available addresses can reach 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 an outrageously high number!

But there is a problem: if the IPv4 use four numerical sequences to form the address - for example: 208.67.222.220 - in IPv6 it would have to apply no less than 16 groups of numbers. Just imagine typing it all!

Therefore, IPv6 uses eight sequences of up to four characters separated by ':' (colon), but considering the hexadecimal system.

Types of IPv6 Addresses

In general, an IPv6 address is part of one of the following categories: Unicast, Multicast and Anycast. This feature serves primarily to permit an optimal distribution of addresses and enable these to be accessed more quickly, depending on the circumstances. Let's have a look at each type in brief:

Unicast - It is a type that defines a single interface, such that packets addressed to that address are delivered to it alone. It is suitable for peer-to-peer;

Multicast - This is the type, where data packets can be delivered to all addresses that belong to a particular group;

Anycast - It is similar to multicast, but the only difference is that the data packet is delivered to the interface group that is closest. This type is suitable for servers and DNS.

It is worth noting that, as with IPv4, IPv6 addresses can also be divided into their "quotas" or "categories", so that hierarchies can be created to determine the optimal distribution of addresses.

Security

In IPv6, there was also a concern regarding security in IPv4. One of the main mechanisms created for this - perhaps the most important - is the IPSec (IP Security), which provides functionality for encryption of data packets, to ensure these three aspects: integrity, confidentiality and authenticity.

In fact, IPSec can also be used in IPv4, but not communication based on NP. There is no need latter in IPv6, therefore, the use of IPSec occurs without limitations.

To perform its function, IPSec uses an extension header essentially called the Authentication Header (AH) for authentication, otherwise called Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) to provide confidentiality and Internet Key Exchange (IKE) protocol for encryption.

It is worth noting that the protocol IPv6 by itself is already a great improvement in safety since the quantity of addresses is so large that, for example, it makes the use of scanning techniques impossible in IP networks to find possible computers with security vulnerabilities.

Most importantly, however, the fact that IPv6 offer more protection than IPv4 does not mean that reduce safety concerns will not bring problems. The security resources such as access control system, firewall, antivirus and other resources should be continued to apply.

As you may have noticed, the IPv6 protocol represents much of what will be the internet in the near future, since it not only eliminates the existing limitations in IPv4, it also opens up a range of possibilities to make the world more connected.

Anup More is a Sr. Online Marketing Executive at ESDS Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. which is also a Fully Managed Data Center Services Provider in India.

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