How Do IPv4 and IPv6 Differ From One Another?. Computers and other devices may communicate with each other via the internet thanks to IP addresses. Nobody could know what someone is saying to whom or to whom without them. However, there are really two kinds of IP addresses, and IPv4 and IPv6 differ greatly from one another. Learn the contrasts between IPv4 and IPv6 and how to safeguard your computer by continuing to read.
IPv4 vs. IPv6 What’s the Difference?
In this article, you can know about IPv4 and IPv6 here are the details below;
What is IPv4
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) speeches are made up of four sets of numbers, each with a range of 0 to 255, divided by periods. For instance, 104.103.88.45 is the IP address of Avast. In the TCP/IP model, IPv4 is the accepted standard for IP addresses, but IPv6, a more recent version, is becoming more popular.
IPv4:a brief history
Development of IPv4 began in the early 1980s. Back then, accessing a website via the internet required knowing its numeric IP address. Then along came the Domain Name Service (DNS), which converts numbers into the names we see today in the URLs we use to access websites.
Thus, the DNS converts “avast.com” back into a number (e.g., 104.103.88.45) when you type that name into the URL field of your browser. Because it is far easier to remember a website’s name than the string of numbers that make up its IP address, this makes it possible for us to browse the web much more conveniently.
Have we run out of IPv4 addresses?
Theoretically, IPv4 can handle 4.3 billion addresses, which was more than sufficient in 1980. But, particularly in the age of smartphones and Internet of Things gadgets, we soon ran out of addresses as the internet expanded and became worldwide.
Since the 1990s, IPv4 addresses have been running out on the internet. Even though resourceful engineers were able to circumvent the issue, a more long-term solution was eventually required. When IPv4 could no longer handle the strain, IPv6 had to be developed as a permanent solution to these capacity problems.
While IPv4 and its more recent version coexist on the internet today, IPv6 will eventually be used for everything. Older IPv4 gear is being phased out gradually in favor of IPv6, as replacing it would be extremely costly and disruptive.
What is IPv6?
The late 1990s saw the introduction of Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6, as a replacement for IPv4. Using eight clusters of four hexadecimal integers separated by colons, it employs 128-bit addresses. The remedy for the comparatively small number of IP addresses that are feasible with IPv4 is IPv6. IPv6 will ensure that there is an infinite supply of potential addresses.
Theoretically, an IPv6 address can be 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456, or 340 undecillion. This implies that each internet-connected gadget may have a distinct IPv6 address. An example IPv6 address is 2002:0de6:0001:0042:0100:8c2e:0370:7234. However, this somewhat awkward notation can be shortened.
IPv6 not only increased the number of IP addresses available but also addressed many of the drawbacks of IPv4—security being the main one, which we’ll talk about in more detail later.
IPv4 vs. IPv6
IPv6 introduced additional capability along with an increase in IP addresses. For instance, IPv6 has multicast addressing, which lowers network capacity by enabling bandwidth-intensive packet flows (such multimedia streams) to be routed to several destinations at once. Is IPv6 superior to IPv4 though? Let’s investigate.
The autoconfiguration feature of IPv6 enables a device to create an IPv6 address as soon as it turns on and connects to the network. Initially, the gadget searches for an IPv6 router. The device may create a local address and a globally routable address, enabling access to the internet if one is present. In networks based on IPv4, adding devices is frequently a manual procedure.
Devices can connect to multiple networks at once with IPv6. This is because the hardware is able to automatically assign several IP addresses to the same device thanks to interoperability and configuration capabilities.
Next, we compare and contrast IPv4 with IPv6 using the perspectives of security and speed.
IPV4 vs.IPV6: Speed comparison
How fast is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? After conducting a number of experiments, the security blog Sucuri discovered that IPv4 and IPv6 gave the same speed across direct connections. Sometimes IPv4 prevailed in the test.
Since there is no need to waste cycles on Network Address Translation (NAT), IPv6 should theoretically operate a little faster. However, IPv6 can potentially be slower in particular use situations due to its higher packet size. Right now, IPv4 networks are more optimal than IPv6 networks since they are more developed and streamlined. Therefore, IPv6 networks will become faster with time and adjustment.
IPv4 vs. IPv6: Security Comparing
More security was considered when designing IPv6. Fully incorporated into IPv6, IP Security (IPSec) is a set of IETF security protocols for data integrity, authentication, and security. The problem is that IPv4 can completely integrate IPSec as well. ISPs are responsible for implementing it; not all businesses do. Also check network’s proxy
IPv6 Security
Since IPv6 is intended to provide end-to-end encryption, it is theoretically possible that widespread IPv6 adoption may greatly reduce the difficulty of man-in-the-middle attacks.
Moreover, IPv6 offers more secure name resolution. Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP), which finds other network nodes on a local link, gains a security enhancement from the Secure Neighbor Discovery (SEND) protocol. NDP is not secure by default, making malicious interference possible. Using a cryptographic technique separate from IPsec, SEND secures NDP.
Authentication Header (AH) and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) are two security headers that IPv6 offers, and they can be used independently or in tandem, thanks to native IPSec. While ESP offers connectionless integrity, data-origin authentication, protection against replay attacks, limited traffic flow confidentiality, and privacy and confidentiality through payload encryption, Authentication Header offers these features and more. If IPSec is installed on the network, IPv4 can also benefit from this security.
IPv4 Security
Since IPv4 has undergone many updates over time, the security differences between IPv4 and IPv6 are not very noteworthy. Network providers and end users must adopt and utilize the same IPSec technology that is available for IPv6 in order for an IPv4 network to be as secure as an IPv6 network.
While Avast SecureLine VPN is only compatible with IPv4, it totally hides your IP address using bank-grade encryption to protect your privacy and online safety.
Additional benefits of IPv6
An IPv6 address can be linked to a public signature key, which is one component of an asymmetric encryption system; the other component being the private key. The user can verify their identity and provide “proof of ownership” for a typical IPv6 address using the Cryptographically Generated Address that is generated as a result. This capability cannot be retrofitted to IPv4 due to the present 32-bit address space restriction.
The new protocol also removes the requirement for Network Address Translation (NAT), one of the workarounds meant to preserve IPv4 addresses, allowing end-to-end connectivity at the IP layer. This change provides access to new and beneficial services. In addition to being simpler to set up and manage, peer-to-peer networks also support more robust VoIP and Quality of Service (QoS) offerings.
Moreover, IPv6 offers the capacity to join different enterprise networks without readdressing and to be a part of multiple networks at once, each with its own unique address.
In the end, is IPv6 superior? In most cases, but not always. Before deciding whether to utilize IPv6 or not, consider the following questions.
How to disable IPv6 on Windows, Mac, and Linux
IPv6 communication on your physical NIC may reveal details about your online activities or hardware MAC address because very few VPN services offer IPv6. As a result, you should disable IPv6 on your computer even if your ISP does support it and you use a VPN like SecureLine VPN.
Check to see if your ISP offers IPv6 support first. Most notably, Comcast does and says a lot of things about it. Many well-known ISPs, like Spectrum (which you may know as Time Warner or Road Runner), do not, though. You may find out whether your ISP supports it by visiting this website.
Your IPv6 address isn’t leaking if the IPv6 connectivity test returns “Not supported.” In this case, you are safe. This includes Spectrum. If the IPv6 connectivity test returns “Supported,” you might want to disable IPv6 in your operating system. Also check How Can I Easily Fix Steam Remote Play Not Working
Why don’t we switch to IPv6 Permanently?
We will eventually. The demise of legacy technology is slow, and adoption of replacements is never as quick as advocates would want. The transition to IPv6 will be irreversible, but it will take decades to complete. According to a report published by the Internet Society last year, IPv6 is used in more than 15% of all IP traffic in 24 countries worldwide, and more than 5% of IP traffic is used in 49 countries. Consequently, the evolution from IPv4 to the IPv6 is happening very slowly.
How to protect your IP address
Why would you want to shield your IP address? You put yourself at risk for a number of security and privacy problems when your IP address and location are visible, including:
- Packet sniffing: This technique allows hackers to monitor your IP traffic and extract private information about you, including online banking activities.
- Surveillance: Your internet traffic can be spied on by your ISP, spies, and even governments.
- Geo-blocking: You can be subjected to discrimination by websites that are able to determine your location. Both content blocking and price increases are possible.