Welcome to IPV6

What is IPv6?

IPv6 is short for "Internet Protocol Version 6". IPv6 is the "next generation" protocol designed by the IETF to replace the current version Internet Protocol, IP Version 4 ("IPv4").

Most of today's internet uses IPv4, which is now nearly twenty years old. IPv4 has been remarkably resilient in spite of its age, but it is beginning to have problems. Most importantly, there is a growing shortage of IPv4 addresses, which are needed by all new machines added to the Internet.

IPv6 fixes a number of problems in IPv4, such as the limited number of available IPv4 addresses. It also adds many improvements to IPv4 in areas such as routing and network autoconfiguration. IPv6 is expected to gradually replace IPv4, with the two coexisting for a number of years during a transition period.

Some introductory information about the protocol can be found in our IPv6 FAQ. For those interested in the technical details, we have a list of IPv6 related specifications.

Where can I get an IPv6 implementation for my system?

There is software available for most operating systems in common use today. Find your favorite OS on our list of IPv6 implementations. We also have a collection of "how to install" documents for various systems.

What applications run over IPv6 today?

Many common Internet applications already work with IPv6, and more are being ported. See our list of IPv6 enabled applications.

How can I get help with IPv6? Or find out more about it?

A new mailing list for IPv6 users has been established. If you are interested in deploying IPv6 for your site, this could be a valuable resource for you. We've also compiled a list of other sites with IPv6 information.

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IPv6 address formats

The IPv6 address size is 128 bits. The preferred IPv6 address representation is: xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx where each x is a hexadecimal digit representing 4 bits. IPv6 addresses range from 0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 to ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff.

In addition to this preferred format, IPv6 addresses may be specified in two other shortened formats:

• Omit leading zeros
  Specify IPv6 addresses by omitting leading zeros. For example, IPv6 address 1050:0000:0000:0000:0005:0600:300c:326b may be written as 1050:0:0:0:5:600:300c:326b.
• Double colon
  Specify IPv6 addresses by using double colons (::) in place of a series of zeros. For example, IPv6 address ff06:0:0:0:0:0:0:c3 may be written as ff06::c3. Double colons may be used only once in an IP address.

An alternative format for IPv6 addresses combines the colon and dotted notation, so the IPv4 address may be embedded in the IPv6 address. Hexadecimal values are specified for the left-most 96 bits, and decimal values are specified for the right-most 32 bits indicating the embedded IPv4 address. This format ensures compatibility between IPv6 nodes and IPv4 nodes when you are working in a mixed network environment.

These two types of IPv6 addresses use this alternative format:

• IPv4–mapped IPv6 address
  This type of address is used to represent IPv4 nodes as IPv6 addresses. It allows IPv6 applications to communicate directly with IPv4 applications. For example, 0:0:0:0:0:ffff:192.1.56.10 and ::ffff:192.1.56.10/96 (shortened format).
• IPv4–compatible IPv6 address
  This type of address is used for tunneling. It allows IPv6 nodes to communicate across an IPv4 infrastructure. For example, 0:0:0:0:0:0:192.1.56.10 and ::192.1.56.10/96 (shortened format).

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