IPv6
In the past few months there has been a lot of press surrounding the life of IPv4 and the launch of IPv6. What does IPv4 and IPv6 mean and what is all the press about?
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is the unique number given to every computer connected to the Internet that enables computers to identify and locate each other. IP addresses in the past have always contained a series of four numbers (between 0 and 255), separated by full stops (or dots). For example, an IP Address may look something like: 56.234.22.12. Because IP addresses contain four numbers they have been known as IPv4.
As the Internet has grown, the number of available IPv4 addresses has dwindled to zero, which means the industry needs to move onto IPv6 addresses (with a series of six numbers).
What are the implications for corporations, organizations and the general public?
- Modern PCs, Laptops and Servers are all fully capable of using IPv6 and have been for some time
- Most mobile phones and ADSL routers do not have IPv6 capability IPv4 and IPv6 addressing schemes are not compatible. i.e. a computer on a v4 network cannot directly talk to a computer on a v6 network
- The Internet as we know it still keeps on running
- New servers or PCs will end up having to be on IPv6 networks only, which means that people who have not switched to v6 will not be able to access those PCs or servers. Having said that, NetNames expects most ISPs to implement some kind of workaround to allow ADSL customers to continue working
- Every company will have to move to IPv6 eventually, so the sooner you start planning the better
How can NetNames help?
If you have any questions about the move from IPv4 to IPv6, please contact NetNames. We are able to provide advice and guidance for you and your organization.
