Blog Introduction: If you’ve ever worked in the IT industry, then you’re probably familiar with the terms IPv4 and IPv6. But what exactly do these two protocols mean? Let’s take a look at why they are so important and how they are used to connect devices on the internet
What is IPv4?
IPv4 stands for Internet Protocol Version 4. It is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol that was developed in 1981, and it is still in use today. It is a 32-bit address space that allows for approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. This means that there are only so many available IP addresses, which can be an issue as more devices join the internet each day for example for example 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.10.1 .
fdifferent classes in IPv4: A, B, C, D and E:
• Class A allows for 126 networks and 16 million hosts
• Class B allows for 16,000 networks and 65,500 hosts
• Class C allows for 2 million networks and 254 hosts
• Class D is used mainly for multicasting
• Class E is reserved as an experimental class
IPv4 also uses subnet masks to identify which portions of an address are the networks address and which portions are the host. It also includes protocols that help with routing information such as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) and ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)
What is IPv6?
IPv6 stands for Internet Protocol Version 6. It is the sixth version of the Internet Protocol, which was developed to overcome some of the limitations of IPv4. Unlike its predecessor, it uses a 128-bit address space, allowing for 340 trillion (340 undecillion) unique addresses. This increase in address space eliminates one of the major issues with IPv4—the lack of available IP addresses—and also allows for improved security measures such as encryption and authentication.
How Are They Used?
IPv4 and IPv6 are both used to connect devices on the internet by assigning them an IP address that uniquely identifies them within the network. Without this unique identifier, data sent from one device to another would not know where to go or how to get there. For example, when you type in an address into your browser, your computer uses an IP address to locate and access that website or resource on the internet
Conclusion:
The importance of understanding both IPv4 and IPv6 cannot be overstated; they are essential protocols used to facilitate communication between devices on a network or across multiple networks on the internet. Knowing how these two protocols work will help you better understand how data moves around online and will enable you to make better decisions when configuring your own networks or troubleshooting connectivity issues. Ultimately, having an understanding of these protocols will ensure that your network remains secure and reliable as more devices join it each day!
