10 Reasons you should Become Familiar with IPv6

Traffic is getting heavy on the Information Highway, as it is served today by Internet Protocol version 4, or Ipv4. The standard protocol provides addresses, or computer “phone numbers”, so that computers can communicate with each other. The current version is getting full, though it provides some four billion such addresses, while the IPv6 would up the potential to virtual infinity by expanding the address space from 32 bits to 128 bits.

1. Increased Address Space – The increase in address space may be the single biggest plus of the new version, as the current IPv4 is starting to run out of room with around four billion addresses currently in use. Made-up words like “gajillion” and “bazillion” have been used to describe the capacity of IPv6.
2. The Refrigerator Speaks – The added space for addresses will come into play as more and more devices are made that require online technology, including refrigerators, ovens and televisions.
3. Security – The new protocol will provide updated security features not available in the IPv4, although it would be rash to ever assume that we will have a foolproof system.
4. Cell Phones – Newer phones will be set to use IPv6, which may be what it takes before the new protocol penetrates the market to a significant degree.
5. Longer IP (con) – For people who already have trouble with the length of the IPv4, the future is bleak; IPv6 requires an even longer IP.
6. Longer IP (pro) – Hackers will also have to contend with longer sequences, which could serve to lessen activity.
7. Business Use – The increased space on IPv6 will allow businesses to incorporate more sub-nets for in-house use, with computers able to transmit and receive more simultaneous information.
8. Changeover – It’s still not clear how ISP’s will implement the transition from one protocol to another, which is a major reason the new technology has yet to make big market inroads.
9. Interaction – IPv4 and IPv6 don’t work together; they are more like parallel systems, which means that if IPv4, which most people use, is rendered obsolete or is no longer offered, then huge costs may be incurred through a mass switch-over.
10. Need New Equipment – Some existing systems will not support the new technology, necessitating purchase and installation of new routing and hardware.

The driving force behind IPv6 is the quantum increase in address space, an increase so great that the new protocol, once completely assimilated, should serve well for years and years to come. Standing in the way of advance is the potential cost of change, but eventually version 4 will run out of space.

Taken From My ISP Finder