IPv4 and the promise of IPv6: Part II.

Abstract

In January of 2000, the first IT World column talked about the Internet Protocol (IP) addressing scheme. At that time, IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4) was the IP addressing format. IPv4 defines a four-byte number that represents an IP address. In order to be an entity or node on the Internet, you must have an IP address. Much like the telephone book where your home address and telephone number is listed next to your name, IP routers must also have such directories at their fingertips in order to route your messages (network traffic) to and from your PC in the network neighborhood. We’ve previously explored router basics (BI&T 2000, Vol. 34, No. 2 and Vol. 34, No. 3) and DNS basics (BI&T 2002, Vol. 36, No. 1), key concepts in how the Internet “telephone directory” works. This column will review the IPv4 method, briefly talk about how and why that is quickly becoming obsolete and the IPv6 proposal to keep it going. IPv6 does more than simply add more bits to your IP address — it offers other properties in the hopes of keeping IP addressing viable for at least the near future. We’ll cover more aspects and attributes of IPv6 in part II of this column.