Current Affairs-1

Internet transition to speedier Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)

The Internet transition from the current Internet Protocol IPv4 to the next-generation Internet protocol IPv6 is set to speed up in 2014 as web addresses under the system IPv4 come to an end. IPv6 addresses are longer and more complex than the familiar 192.168.0.1-style IPv4 addresses.

 Why the internet transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is taking place?

With the growth of the Internet, the number of unused IPv4 addresses will eventually run out soon because every device viz. computers, smartphones, game consoles, etc, that connects to the Internet requires an address. IPv4 provides only 4.3 billion addresses i.e. not enough as the Internet continues to grow exponentially. The new Internet addressing system Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is being deployed to fulfill the need for more Internet addresses.

·         Switchover from IPv4 to IPv6 will bring about many changes viz. No more NAT (Network Address Translation), Auto-configuration, No more private address collisions, Better multicast routing, Simpler header format,  Simplified, more efficient routing, True quality of service (QoS), also called “flow labeling”, Built-in authentication and privacy support, Flexible options and extensions, Easier administration, etc.

About Internet protocol (IP)

• A protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet.
• Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet.
• Current versions of Internet Protocol (IP): IPv4 and IPv6.

IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6)- Latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP)

• Provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet.
• Address: 128-bit long written in hexadecimal and separated by colons.
• More efficient and more secure than IPv4.
• Provides for trillions of “IP” numbers or addresses.
• Permit automatic setup and quality control.

IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4)

• nFourth revision of the Internet Protocol (IP) used to identify devices on a network through an addressing system.
• Operates on a best effort delivery model, in that it does not guarantee delivery, nor does it assure proper sequencing or avoidance of duplicate delivery.
• Uses a 32-bit address scheme.  

Provides only 4.3 billion addresses (i.e. not enough as the Internet continues to grow exponentially.