Understanding IPv6 Addressing: A Comprehensive Overview
In the field of networking, the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is one of the most significant advancements. As the internet continues to expand, the limitations of IPv4, particularly its address space, have become increasingly apparent. IPv6, with its larger address space and improved features, addresses these limitations. This lesson aims to provide a deep understanding of IPv6 addressing, complete with examples and explanations.
What is IPv6?
IPv6, , is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP). It was developed to replace IPv4 due to the latter’s limited address space. With 128 bits allocated for addresses, IPv6 can support approximately 3.4 x 10^38 unique IP addresses, this is infact a significant leap from the 4.3 billion addresses possible under IPv4.
Structure of an IPv6 Address
An IPv6 address is composed of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons. For example:
2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Each group represents 16 bits, and the entire address is 128 bits long. The hexadecimal system (base 16) uses digits 0-9 and letters A-F, allowing a more compact representation of binary data.
