How IPv4 and IPv6 Works ?

 How IPv4 and IPv6 Works ?

Working of IPv4

IPv4, or Internet Protocol version 4, is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP) used to identify devices on a network. It is the most widely used IP addressing system in the world, and is responsible for routing data packets between devices on a network.

When a device connects to a network using IPv4, it is assigned a unique IP address. This address is a 32-bit number, typically written as four sets of numbers separated by periods, such as 192.168.1.1. Each set of numbers is known as an octet and ranges from 0 to 255. The IP address is used to identify the device on the network, and allows other devices to communicate with it.

When data is sent between devices on a network, it is broken down into small packets of data, known as packets. Each packet is then sent to its destination using the IP address of the device it is intended for. Along the way, the packets may pass through several other devices, such as routers or switches, that use the IP address to determine the next hop for the packet.

IPv4 addresses are divided into two parts, the network address and the host address. The network address is used to identify the network to which the device is connected, and the host address is used to identify the specific device on that network. The boundary between the network address and the host address is defined by the subnet mask, which is used to divide the IP address into the appropriate parts.

One important thing to note is that the number of IPv4 addresses is limited to 4,294,967,296 possible addresses, which is currently a big constraint as the world population is increasing and more and more devices are being connected to the internet. Due to this, IPv4 addresses are becoming scarce and IPV6 was developed to overcome this limitation. IPv6, which uses a 128-bit address and allows for a much larger number of unique addresses.

Working of IPv6

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP) that is designed to address the shortage of IP addresses in IPv4. It is designed to provide a larger number of unique IP addresses, as well as new features that improve security and support for mobile devices.

When a device connects to a network using IPv6, it is assigned a unique IP address. This address is a 128-bit number, typically written as eight sets of numbers separated by colons, such as 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. Each set of numbers is known as a hexed and ranges from 0 to 65535, represented by four hexadecimal digits.

When data is sent between devices on a network using IPv6, it is broken down into small packets of data, known as packets. Each packet is then sent to its destination using the IP address of the device it is intended for. Along the way, the packets may pass through several other devices, such as routers or switches, that use the IP address to determine the next hop for the packet.

IPv6 addresses are also divided into two parts, the prefix and the interface identifier. The prefix is used to identify the network to which the device is connected, and the interface identifier is used to identify the specific device on that network. The boundary between the prefix and the interface identifier is defined by the prefix length, which is used to divide the IP address into the appropriate parts.

One of the main differences between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses is that IPv6 addresses are much larger, with 128 bits compared to the 32 bits in IPv4. This means that there are far more IPv6 addresses available than IPv4 addresses, making it much less likely that we will run out of IP addresses in the future. Additionally, IPv6 provides improved security features such as built-in support for IPsec, which is a security protocol used to protect data as it travels across the network.

Overall, IPv6 is a significant improvement over IPv4, providing a much larger number of unique IP addresses, as well as new features that improve security and support for mobile devices. As the number of devices connected to the internet continues to grow, IPv6 will play an increasingly important role in providing reliable and secure connections.