What if the Internet ran out of room? In fact, it's already
happening.
Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist at
Google, and a founding father of the Internet, discusses the next version of
the Internet, IPv6, and why we need it.
The problem is that the current Internet
addressing system, IPv4, only has room for about 4 billion addresses -- not
nearly enough for the world's people, let alone the devices that are online
today and those that will be in the future: computers, phones, TVs, watches,
fridges, cars, and so on. More than 4 billion devices already share addresses.
As IPv4 runs out of free addresses, everyone will need to share.
When is the transition happening?
At Google we believe IPv6 is essential to the continued health
and growth of the Internet and that by allowing all devices to talk to each
other directly, IPv6 enables new innovative services. Replacing the Internet's
plumbing will take some time, but the transition has begun. World IPv6 Launch
on June 6, 2012, marks the start of a coordinated rollout by major websites and
Internet service and equipment providers.
Frequently asked questions:
Q :- What are IPv4 and
IPv6?
Ans :- IPv4 is the current
version of the Internet Protocol, the identification system the Internet uses
to send information between devices. This system assigns a series of four
numbers (each ranging from 0 to 255) to each device. IPv4 only allows for about
4 billion addresses and the Internet needs more room than that. IPv6 is the new
version of the Internet Protocol and expands the number of available addresses to
a virtually limitless amount–340 trillion trillion trillion addresses.
Q :- Why is IPv6
important?
Ans :- The Internet
is running out of IPv4 addresses. Transitioning to IPv6 enables the Internet to
continue to grow and enables new, innovative services to be developed because
more devices can connect to the Internet.
Q :- What is an IP
address?
Ans :- Just like a phone
number helps you communicate with another phone, an IP address (short for
Internet Protocol address) is provided to your computer so it can communicate
with websites, Internet services, and other devices. IP addresses are numbers
that are displayed as strings of letters or numbers, such as 192.0.2.1 (for
IPv4) and 2001:db8::1234:ace:6006:1e (for IPv6).
Q :- What is World IPv6 Launch?
Ans :- World IPv6 Launch on
June 6, 2012, organized by the Internet Society, is the day participating major websites and
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) permanently enable IPv6 and begin the
transition from IPv4.
Q :- Will I notice anything different? Do
I need to do anything to prepare?
Ans :- You don't need to
prepare anything for IPv6; your applications and devices will work just as they
did before. This change is to make sure you can keep using the Internet in the
future just as you do today.
Q :- How long will this
transition take?
Ans :- The complete
transition to IPv4 to IPv6 will take time as every website and Internet Service
Provider must make the switch. In the meantime, both systems will work together
until IPv4 is no longer needed.
Q :- Will you be turning
off IPv4?
Ans :- No, IPv4 services
will continue to operate as usual.
Q :- Do I already have
IPv6?
Ans :- You may be using
IPv6 already, visit ipv6test.google.com to
find out. Many devices you use already support IPv6; however, the websites you
visit and your Internet Service Provider must first enable IPv6 before you can
use it.
Q :- I don’t have IPv6
yet. How can I get it?
Ans :- Many major websites
and Internet Service Providers now support IPv6, but there are still many more
who need to switch. If you'd like to use IPv6, contact your Internet Service
Provider asking them to provide you with IPv6 Internet access. You may also
need to enable IPv6 on your home router or upgrade to a home router that
supports IPv6. For a list of home router manufacturers that support IPv6, start here.
Q :- Was there ever an
IPv5?
Ans :- Version 5 was
reserved for the Internet Stream Protocol developed prior to IPv6–it was never
widely deployed and will not be used publicly.