It has been two years since IPv6 was launched and in that time IPv6 connectivity has more than tripled with Google Users. With IPv6 set to become the dominant protocol by 2018, Irish Telecom’s infographic explores the differences between IPv4 and IPv6 and features some expert insights on this new internet protocol.
IPv6 is the next-generation internet protocol that provides an expanded address space to enable more devices to connect to the internet. IPv6 was developed in the 1990s in response to the concerns of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) about the scalability of the then-current version of the internet protocol, IPv4.
IPv6 was designed to address the problem of IPv4 address depletion by providing a larger address space. IPv6 connectivity is now being adopted by organizations around the world as they upgrade their networks to support the new protocol. This infographic provides an overview of why your organization needs to be prepared for the transition to IPv6.
What are the benefits of IPv6?
The most obvious benefit of IPv6 is the increased address space. With IPv4, there are 4.3 billion unique addresses while IPv6 provides 340 undecillion unique addresses. This increase in address space will allow for more devices to connect to the internet and will help support the growth of the internet of things (IoT).
In addition to the increased address space, IPv6 also offers other benefits including:
1. Improved Security
IPv6 includes built-in security features that were not available in IPv4. These features include IPSec and TLS which can help protect data as it travels across the network.
2. Better Quality of Service (QoS)
IPv6 includes features that can help ensure that critical traffic is given priority over less important traffic. This can be especially important for real-time applications such as voice and video.
3. Simplified Network Configuration
In IPv4, each device on the network must have a unique address. With IPv6, devices can auto-configure their addresses using stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC). This can simplify network administration and reduce the need for manual configuration of addresses.
4. Improved Mobility
IPv6 includes support for mobile devices with its mobility features. These features include route optimization and header compression which can help reduce the latency and increase the reliability of mobile connections.
5. Enhanced Multicasting
IPv6 includes features that improve the efficiency of multicast traffic. This can be important for applications such as streaming video and audio.
View infographic on Network World: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2692482/ipv6/infographic-ipv4-vs-ipv6.html