Computers and devices can communicate over the Internet thanks to the Internet Protocol (IP – Internet Protocol).
There are currently two versions of IP: IPv4 and IPv6. Both are used to label devices connected to a network, but they differ in several ways.
In this article, you will learn about the differences between IPv4 and IPv6 and what is coming in the future for each version.
What is an Internet protocol?
It is a set of rules that are responsible for routing data through networks and making them reach the correct destination.
When data is sent over a network, the computer breaks the information into bits called data packetswhich makes the data transfer process faster and more efficient.
Each of them contains the IP address of the source and the destination. An IP address is a Unique identifier assigned to all devices connected to the Internet or a computer network.
Just as a postal address is needed to send a letter, a device also needs a correct IP address to send information over a network.
This is an example of what IP addresses can look like:
212.1.212.62
IP addresses are distributed by the Internet Number Assignment Authority (IANA), an organization in the United States in charge of managing the pool of IP addresses.
Remember that an IP address is different from a , which is a website address that is easier to remember than numeric IP addresses.
What is IPv4?
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is the first and best known version of the Internet protocol. It depends on the approach best effort deliverywhich does not guarantee the delivery of data or the quality of the service.
This means that users may experience lag and other issues depending on Internet traffic.
It is also a connectionless protocol, transmitting data packets without ensuring that the destination device is ready. The advantage is that it can send packets over alternative paths in case of network congestion or router failure.
This version of IP uses a 32 bit address, the format most people are familiar with when talking about an IP address. An IPv4 address consists of four decimal numbers, separated by three points, ranging from 0 to 255, such as:
192.0.2.146
The 32-bit address space can provide about 4.3 billion of addresses. However, some large blocks of these addresses are kept for private networks and are not available for public use.
What is IPv6?
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the new version of IP that is also called Next Generation Internet Protocol (IPng).
It works similar to version 4 (IPv4), which provides unique addresses for all devices connected to the Internet. However, unlike IPv4, IPv6 uses a 128 bit address instead of the 32-bit address format.
A 128-bit address space offers about 340 trillion addresses, that is, 1,028 times more addresses than IPv4.
An IPv6 address contains both numbers and letters. It is written using eight groups of four-digit hexadecimal numbers, separated by colons.
This is an example of an IPv6 address:
2001:db8:3333:4444:CCCC:DDDD:EEEE:FFFF
In addition to more IP addresses, IPv6 also has a simpler header than IPv4. An IP header is the meta information found at the beginning of an IP packet.
The IPv6 header comes in a new format designed to minimize header overhead, making packet processing more efficient.
Another difference is that IPv6 eliminates the need for Network address translation (), restoring end-to-end connectivity at the IP layer.
It also facilitates the implementation and deployment of services such as Voice over Internet Protocol () and the Quality of Service (QoS).
Why do we need two versions of IP?
Although the maximum number of IPv4 addresses may seem like a lot, it is not enough to accommodate all the connected devices around the world, especially with the increase in devices on the Internet. Internet of things ().
That is why IPv6 comes to cover the need for more Internet addresses. However, as the world begins to move towards this protocol, the use of IPv4 is still necessary.
Although many of the major content providers, such as Facebook Y Netflixare already accessible through IPv6only the top ten million websites are accessible via this protocol, showing that there is still a long way to go for the full adoption of IPv6.
The difference between IPv4 and IPv6
Now that you know some details about the two, it’s time to see what the difference is.
Let’s see the following comparison table.
differencesIPv4IPv6address size32-bit IP address. 128-bit IP address.Number of header fields12.8.Header field length20 bytes.40 bytes.Addressing methodIt is based on a numeric address. It is based on an alphanumeric address.address typesBroadcast, multicast and unicast.Anycast, multicast and unicast.Checksum fieldsExisting.Not existing.number of classesFive different classes, from class A to class E. Unlimited number of IP addresses.SettingUsers must configure a newly installed system for IPv4 to communicate with other systems. Configuration is optional and depends on the features required.Variable Length Subnet Masks (VLSM)Supports VLSM. Does not support VLSM.Routing Information Protocol (RIP)IPv4 is supported .IPv6 is supported by .Network settingsNetworks are configured manually or through the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).IPv6 comes with auto-configuration capabilities.Address CharacteristicsIt uses network address translation (NAT), which allows a single NAT address to represent thousands of non-routable addresses. It supports direct addressing due to its large address space.address maskIt is used for the designated network from the host side. IPv6 does not use an address mask.Address settingManually or via DHCP. Stateless address autoconfiguration using Internet Control Message Protocol version 6 (ICMPv6) or DHCPv6.package size576 bytes minimum packet size. 1208 bytes minimum packet size.packet fragmentationIt is done by the sender and the forwarding routers. Only the sending routers do it.packet headerIt does not identify the packet stream for QoS handling, including checksum options. The Flow Label fields specify the packet stream for QoS handling.SNMPSupport included. Not supported.Mobility and interoperabilityIt uses relatively limited network topologies, which restricts mobility and interoperability capabilities. IPv6 provides mobility and interoperability capabilities embedded in network devices.DNS recordsRecords a.AAAA Records.SecurityIPv4 security depends on applications. IPv6 relies on Internet Protocol Security (IPSec).Management of local subnet groupsIt uses the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). It uses Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD).mappingUses the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Uses the Neighbor Discovery (ND) process for address resolution.Mobile Device CompatibilityIPv4 addresses use dot-decimal notation, which makes them less suitable for mobile networks. IPv6 addresses use hexadecimal and colon-separated notation. Therefore, IPv6 is more suitable for handling mobile networks.Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHSP)Users need to approach a DHCP when trying to connect to a network. Users do not need to contact any server as they are given a permanent address.Optional fieldsExisting. Doesn’t exist, but has extension headers instead.
The table shows the many differences between these two protocols. For example, IPv6 supports the anycast mode of packet routing, a model widely used by products that bring their content closer to the end user. Meanwhile, IPv4 does not come with this feature by default.
Now we are going to deepen the comparison based on two important aspects: speed and security.
IPv4 vs. IPv6 – Security
IPv6 offers more advantages than its predecessor, mainly because it comes with IPSecurity (IPSec), a group of protocols that secure network communications at the IP layer.
IPSec has three components that secure different aspects of network communications:
- Authentication Headers (AH) – help the network verify where a packet came from and whether the transmission has been modified. They can also prevent hackers from creating fraudulent data packets to deliver malware to a device or app.
- Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) – adds encryption and another layer of authentication to protect data transmission.
- Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) – defines the security attributes that two devices will use to exchange data.
Although IPSec can also be used over IPv4, its use depends on network providers and end users. Also, this framework will not work on NAT based communication.
Another security advantage of IPv6 is that you can run the end-to-end encryption and integrity checkingwhich makes it difficult to .
IPv6 also uses the protocol Secure Neighbor Discovery (SEND), which allows a more secure name resolution. This makes it more difficult for attackers to redirect traffic between two legitimate hosts and observe or manipulate the conversation.
IPv6 may provide better security solutions, but those security features also depend on the proper design and implementation of IPv6. It is also essential to activate a firewall, access control system and antivirus software.
IPv4 vs. IPv6 – Speed
The security service provider Sucuri ran a test on sites that support IPv4 and IPv6 and found that both offered the same speed on direct connections.
However, there is more evidence to suggest that IPv6 is faster than IPv4. One of them is the study by , which showed IPv6 performance improvements over IPv4 on the four major mobile networks in the United States.
Another is the observation of the , which states that access to Facebook through IPv6 can be between a 10 and 15% faster than using IPv4.
The difference between IPv4 and IPv6 that makes the latter slightly faster is that IPv6 connections access the network directly. Although IPv4 has smaller packet headers than IPv6, it has to go through stateful NAT servers to travel through…
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