Glossary: IPv6
IPv6 is the latest version of the Internet Protocol, using 128-bit addresses to provide virtually unlimited address space.
IPv6 in Detail
IPv6 was developed to address the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses. With 128 bits, IPv6 provides approximately 340 undecillion unique addresses - enough for every grain of sand on Earth to have multiple IP addresses.
IPv6 Features
- Vast address space: 2^128 possible addresses
- Simplified header: More efficient packet processing
- Auto-configuration: Stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC)
- Built-in security: IPSec is mandatory
- No NAT required: Every device can have a public address
IPv6 Address Format
IPv6 addresses consist of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons. Leading zeros can be omitted, and consecutive groups of zeros can be replaced with ::