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Networking Intermediate

What is IPv6?

The latest version of the Internet Protocol with 128-bit addresses, designed to replace IPv4 and solve address exhaustion.

IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334), providing 340 undecillion unique addresses — enough for every device on Earth. It eliminates the need for NAT, simplifies routing, and includes built-in IPSec support.

IPv6 adoption is growing (40%+ of Google traffic). Dual-stack (running IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously) is the common transition strategy. Key differences from IPv4 include no broadcast (replaced by multicast), auto-configuration (SLAAC), and simplified headers.

Related Terms

DHCP
A protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and network configuration to devices on a network.
SDN (Software-Defined Networking)
An approach that separates the network control plane from the data plane, enabling centralized, programmable network management.
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
The routing protocol that makes the internet work by exchanging routing information between autonomous systems.
Port
A numbered endpoint (0-65535) that identifies specific processes or services on a networked computer for communication.
DNS Propagation
The time it takes for DNS record changes to spread across all DNS servers worldwide, typically taking up to 48 hours.
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)
A network protocol used for diagnostic and error reporting, including ping and traceroute functionality.
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