IPv6

Today I will tell you a little bit about the new generation of IP-addresses: IPv6

At first, let's have a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvlBMogudkQ

(Hint: CCNA = Cisco Certified Network Associate)

In this video, there is shown, what's so excited in IPv6 and why we move away from IPv4 to IPv6.

Differences between IPv4 and IPv6:

A typically IPv4 address:

192.168.201.113

IPv4 addresses have 32bits (4Byte) and they consist out of dots and decimal numbers,

Another disadvantage is that there are "only" 4billion possible addresses.

A typically IPv6 address:

A524:72D3:2C80:DD02:0029:EC7A:002B:EA73

IPv6 addresses have 128bits (16Byte) and they consist out of hexadecimal numbers, which are splitted with colons.

The advantage of IPv6 is, that you can create 3,4 * 10^38 addresses. That's a giantic number of addresses!

IPv6 Advanced Features:

Larger address space:

Global reachability and flexibility

Aggregation

Multihoming

Autoconfiguration

Plug-and-play

End-to-end without NAT

Renumbering

Mobility and security:

Mobile IP RFC-compliant

IPsec mandatory (or native) for IPv6

Simpler Header:

Routing efficiency

Performance and forwarding rate scalability

No broadcasts

No checksums

Extension headers

Flow Labels

Transition richness:

Dual stack

Translation

Common Questions:

• How many possible addresses are at IPv6? How many times is this more compared to IPv4?

There are 3,4 * 10^38 possible addresses.

It's 4billion (possible IPv4 addresses) timed with 8,5*10^28

• Why are IPv6 addresses written in hexadecimal form?

Because the hexadecimal form contains 16bit, the range is from 0-9 and from A-F. So you have more opportunities.

• What is the possibility at IPv6, in difference to IPv4?

The header of IPv6 gives you the opportunity to involve together chained extensions. So the actually header is going to be shorter and the header of not used extensions isn't going on.

Through those properties, the header of IPv6 can load faster.

• What is "Autoconfiguration" and "Renumbering"?

Autoconfiguration: In IPv6 the hosts are able to configure their IPv6 address and their default router settings.

Renumbering: In IPv6 networks can be renumbered. Routers can send a new prefix to tell the devices to regenerate their IP address.

• What is IPsec and which function has it at IPv6?

Internet Protocol Security

It protects the communication by authenticating and encrypting every IP-packet of a session.

• What is used instead of a broadcast-message?

A multicast is used instead.

• How is the transition of IPv4 to IPv6 effected?

The transition takes place through tunneling.

• What happens at the interface of a Cisco-Router, if a IPv6 address will be activated?