IPv4 versus IPv6
BinaryZer0
BinaryZer0@box.sk
Internet Protocol, IPv4, IPv6, IPv4 vs IPv6, protocols, internet, addresses

This document explains the differences between the
older version of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses,
and the newest version.

I would like to thank Feanor for some information 
presented in this document.

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IPs (Internet Protocols) are the addresses every
on-line entity bears.  They are like social
security numbers or, more like, identification
numbers in the cyber world.


There are four entries in an Internet Protocol
address (i.e. x.x.x.x).  Each "x" represents
a number from "1" to "255", hence each entry
may contain up to 255 values (i.e. 
1-255.1-255.1-255.1-255).


Each digit in the last entry is may be assigned
to one or more "human-readable" names. 
For example, "blah.blah.com" may be "1.1.1.1" and
"www.blah.com" may also be "1.1.1.1". Like wise,
"blah.blah.com" may be "1.1.1.1" and "www.blah.com"
may be "1.1.1.2".


Especially in the last couple years there has been a
rise in Internet population.  Not too long ago, at
any given time there were only 1,000,000 people online.
Now, there are as many as 20,000,000+ people online, and
once China allows all of their citizens access to the 
Internet, you can imagine how many people will be surfing
the `Net. (For the record, currently only about one 
percent of China's population is wired.)


Because there are a limited number of IP addresses
and because there are more and more people using the
Internet, logically more addresses need to be created.


This is where the new version of IP addresses, version
6, comes in.  The new version, appose to IPv4, allows
64 bit (or 8 byte) addresses, while IPv4 allows for only
32 bit (or 4 byte) addresses.


Internet Addresses are aprehended through a large
tree with many branches.  At the top of the tree, 
although, there is only one organization, IANA, funded
by the government and contracted by the United States
Department of Defence.


IANA owns (always) all of the IP addresses in the
world.  The organization distributes huge chunks
of IPs to a few other companies (one in each 
continental region of the earth).  

These companies, for example, ARIN (in the North
American region) leases addresses to other
individuals and ISPs. To give an example of the
cost,  4,000 addresses cost nearly 2,500 dollars 
yearly, while 260k addresses cost about 20 thousand
dollars per year.


Even though the new version is able to support more 
combinations, very few Internet Service Providers 
and other individuals use or order the 
newest version of the Internet Protocol.


For example, statistics from ARIN say that in one 
month 407 small packages (4,000 IPs), 271 Medium
packages (16,000-66,000 IPs), 36 Large packages
(130,000-260,000 IPs), and 11 extra-large packages
(300,000+ IPs) were ordered under IPv4, as appose
to *one*, *small*, package (4,000 IPs), ordered
under IPv6.

There are many reasons for this.  The most relevant
are:

- The newest version doesn't yet support all Operating
  Systems.

- Everyone is used to IPv4, and IPv6 just looks too 
  alien for them.