IPv4 versus IPv6 BinaryZer0 BinaryZer0@box.sk Internet Protocol, IPv4, IPv6, IPv4 vs IPv6, protocols, internet, addresses This document explains the differences between the older version of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, and the newest version. I would like to thank Feanor for some information presented in this document. --- --- --- --- --- --- -- IPs (Internet Protocols) are the addresses every on-line entity bears. They are like social security numbers or, more like, identification numbers in the cyber world. There are four entries in an Internet Protocol address (i.e. x.x.x.x). Each "x" represents a number from "1" to "255", hence each entry may contain up to 255 values (i.e. 1-255.1-255.1-255.1-255). Each digit in the last entry is may be assigned to one or more "human-readable" names. For example, "blah.blah.com" may be "1.1.1.1" and "www.blah.com" may also be "1.1.1.1". Like wise, "blah.blah.com" may be "1.1.1.1" and "www.blah.com" may be "1.1.1.2". Especially in the last couple years there has been a rise in Internet population. Not too long ago, at any given time there were only 1,000,000 people online. Now, there are as many as 20,000,000+ people online, and once China allows all of their citizens access to the Internet, you can imagine how many people will be surfing the `Net. (For the record, currently only about one percent of China's population is wired.) Because there are a limited number of IP addresses and because there are more and more people using the Internet, logically more addresses need to be created. This is where the new version of IP addresses, version 6, comes in. The new version, appose to IPv4, allows 64 bit (or 8 byte) addresses, while IPv4 allows for only 32 bit (or 4 byte) addresses. Internet Addresses are aprehended through a large tree with many branches. At the top of the tree, although, there is only one organization, IANA, funded by the government and contracted by the United States Department of Defence. IANA owns (always) all of the IP addresses in the world. The organization distributes huge chunks of IPs to a few other companies (one in each continental region of the earth). These companies, for example, ARIN (in the North American region) leases addresses to other individuals and ISPs. To give an example of the cost, 4,000 addresses cost nearly 2,500 dollars yearly, while 260k addresses cost about 20 thousand dollars per year. Even though the new version is able to support more combinations, very few Internet Service Providers and other individuals use or order the newest version of the Internet Protocol. For example, statistics from ARIN say that in one month 407 small packages (4,000 IPs), 271 Medium packages (16,000-66,000 IPs), 36 Large packages (130,000-260,000 IPs), and 11 extra-large packages (300,000+ IPs) were ordered under IPv4, as appose to *one*, *small*, package (4,000 IPs), ordered under IPv6. There are many reasons for this. The most relevant are: - The newest version doesn't yet support all Operating Systems. - Everyone is used to IPv4, and IPv6 just looks too alien for them.