IP address:-
Every machine on a network has a unique identifier. Most networks today, including all computers on the Internet, use the TCP/IP protocol as the standard for how to communicate on the network. In the TCP/IP protocol, the unique identifier for a computer is called its IP address.
There are two standards for IP addresses:-1) IP Version 4 (IPv4) 2) IP Version 6 (IPv6).
All computers with IP addresses have an IPv4 address, and many are starting to use the new IPv6 address system as well.
Here's what these two address types mean:-
IPv4 uses 32 binary bits to create a single unique address on the network. An IPv4 address is expressed by four numbers separated by dots. Each number is the decimal (base-10) representation for an eight-digit binary (base-2) number, also called an octet. For example: 216.27.61.137.
Class A - 0.0.0.0 - 127.255.255.255 Class B - 128.0.0.0 - 191.255.255.255Class C - 192.0.0.0 - 223.255.255.255 Class D - 224.0.0.0 - 239.255.255.255
Class E - 240.0.0.0 - 247.255.255.255
IPv6 uses 128 binary bits to create a single unique address on the network. An IPv6 address is expressed by eight groups of hexadecimal (base-16) numbers separated by colons, as in 2001:cdba:0000:0000:0000:0000:3257:9652 Groups of numbers that contain all zeros are often omitted to save space, leaving a colon separator to mark the gap (as in 2001:cdba::3257:9652).
Differences between IPv4 and IPv6:-| IPv4 | IPv6 | |
|---|---|---|
| No. of bits on IP Address | 32 | 128 |
| Format | decimal | hexadecimal |
| Capable of Addresses | 4.3 billion | infinite number |
• IPv6 simplified the router‘s task compared to IPv4.
• IPv6 is more compatible to mobile networks than IPv4.
• IPv6 allows for bigger payloads than what is allowed in IPv4.
• IPv6 is used by less than 1% of the networks, while IPv4 is still in use by the remaining 99%.