What Is IPv6 and Should I Enable It?

Every single computer device connected to a network or the wider Internet uses an Internet Protocol version (IP) to communicate. For decades, IPv4 has served as the backbone of the Internet, but the rapid growth of the Internet has made its limitations increasingly apparent.

IPv6 was chosen as the successor to IPv4 by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and it has been designed to address the challenges of the modern internet, a place where billions of devices connect and communicate each day. But what exactly is IPv6, and should you enable it on your home or corporate network?

It’s quite surprising how long IPv6 technology has been around; believe it or not, its origins go back to 1992, with the draft standardization being agreed upon. Yet even today, IPv6 is not hugely popular when in reality we should all be using it.

In this technical article, we will learn all about IPv6 and discover the difference between using IPv6 locally and across the Internet. We will also try and answer why the adoption of IPv6 has been so slow across the industry, and then discuss the strengths and weaknesses of IPv6.

What Is IPv6?

IPv6, or Internet Protocol version 6, is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP). It serves as the foundation for communication on the internet by assigning unique IP addresses to devices, allowing them to send and receive data.

The core distinction between IPv4 and IPv6 lies in the allocated address space. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, limiting the number of available unique addresses to roughly 4.3 billion. In contrast, IPv6 employs 128-bit addresses, offering an astronomical number of IP addresses.

For context, the IPv6 address space works out at approximately 340 undecillion; that unfathomable number looks like this – 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 (according to Pingdom).

Beyond its expanded address space, IPv6 introduces several other benefits:

• Eliminating Network Address Translation (NAT): IPv4’s address limitations led to the widespread use of NAT, which allows multiple devices to share a single public IP address. IPv6 removes the need for NAT by providing ample IP addresses for every device.
• Enhanced Security: IPv6 incorporates IPsec (IP Security) directly into the IP layer, offering built-in authentication and encryption. This strengthens data confidentiality, providing a more secure environment for online activities.
• Improved Efficiency: The IPv6 header has been streamlined, leading to more efficient packet processing at routers and potentially saving network bandwidth. Such efficiency enhances the performance of bandwidth-intensive packet flows, such as those encountered in video streaming and large file transfers.

Important IPv6 Terminology

IPv6 is full of acronyms and new terminology you may not be familiar with. Take a few moments to consider these important terms.

• Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMPv6): Used for error reporting, network diagnostics, and control messages in IPv6 networks.
• Path MTU Discovery (PMTUD): A mechanism used to determine the path’s maximum transmission unit (MTU), the largest packet size that can be transmitted without fragmentation.
• Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP): Replaces ARP in IPv4 and is used for address resolution, router discovery, and prefix discovery in IPv6 networks.
• Router Advertisement (RA): Messages sent by routers to announce their presence and provide configuration information to hosts.
• Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC): Allows hosts to automatically configure their own IPv6 addresses based on information received from RAs.
• DHCPv6: A protocol used for dynamic address allocation and other configuration parameters in IPv6 networks.

What is the History of IPv6?

The rapid expansion of the Internet in the early 1990s raised concerns about the limitations of the existing internet protocol, IPv4. Its 32-bit address space, while sufficient for the time, was projected to be exhausted as more devices connected to the internet. To address this looming issue, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), an open standards organization responsible for developing and promoting internet standards, initiated the development of IPv6, a new internet protocol with a much larger 128-bit address space.

The journey toward IPv6 adoption has been marked by several significant milestones:

• 1995: The first RFC outlining the basic concepts of IPv6 was published (RFC 1883), laying the foundation for further development.
• 1998: The IETF finalized the core IPv6 specifications, solidifying the protocol’s technical framework and paving the way for implementation (RFC 2460).
• 2011: World IPv6 Launch Day marked a coordinated global effort to promote and accelerate the transition to IPv6. Top websites and Internet service providers around the world, including Google, Facebook, and Akami joined together with more than 1000 other participating websites to trial IPv6.
• 2017: The US government mandated IPv6 support for all new federal IT systems, signaling a significant policy shift towards broader adoption.

Despite these efforts, the transition to IPv6 has been gradual. Compatibility issues with existing IPv4 infrastructure, the cost of upgrading network equipment, and a lack of immediate urgency for many users have contributed to the slow adoption rate. However, as the internet continues to grow and the demand for unique IP addresses increases, the full potential of IPv6 is only likely to be realized in years to come.

Internet IPv6 and Public IP Address

IPv6 can be implemented on both private internal networks and the public internet. In this section, we will discuss the different ways IPv6 can be implemented.

Utilizing IPv6 on the internet means that your devices and internet service provider have a public IPv6 address, enabling direct communication with other IPv6-enabled devices and services across the globe.

This opens up a wide range of benefits:

• More IP Addresses: We have already discussed IPv6’s vastly expanded address space and how it eliminates concerns about running out of IP addresses.
• Enhanced Security: IPv6’s integration of IPsec (IP Security) as an extension header establishes a foundation for strong data protection. It enables confidentiality through encryption, integrity verification to prevent data tampering, and authentication to confirm the identity of communicating parties, all at the network layer.
• More Efficient Routing: IPv6’s simplified header structure and streamlined routing tables contribute to more efficient packet processing and forwarding, potentially leading to improved network performance. When compared to IPv4, IPv6 reduces the overhead associated with each packet, allowing routers to process them more quickly.
• End-to-End Connectivity: With IPv6, devices can establish direct connections simplifying peer-to-peer applications and improving the overall user experience.
• No More NAT: IPv6 eliminates the need for NAT, simplifying network configurations and allowing devices to have globally routable addresses.

However, there are certain challenges associated with adopting IPv6 on the internet. We will go into this in more detail a little later, but it is important to mention some of the immediate problems with IPv6 over the Internet:

• Limited ISP Support: Not all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer native IPv6 connectivity. Some might utilize tunneling or other transitional mechanisms, while others may discourage users from enabling it or even disable IPv6 by default.
• Compatibility: Although most modern websites and services support IPv6, older legacy systems often still rely on IPv4, requiring transitional mechanisms to bridge the gap. If you work in a small, medium, or large organization – has your business enabled IPv6 yet?
• Configuration: Enabling and configuring IPv6 on your devices requires a good technical knowledge of networking and that your provider or ISP supports it. The good news is that many devices can automatically configure their IPv6 addresses using mechanisms like SLAAC (Stateless Address Autoconfiguration) or DHCPv6.

Local IPv6

IPv6 can also be implemented on private internal networks, such as within your home or office. This means that devices within your local network communicate using IPv6 addresses, providing local links with several advantages:

• Simplified Network Management: With each device having a unique IPv6 address, network management becomes more straightforward.
• Enhanced Performance: Applications that heavily utilize peer-to-peer communication or require multiple connections often experience performance gains with IPv6 due to the elimination of NAT and improved routing efficiency.
• Future-proofing: As IPv6 adoption grows, having a local network already IPv6-enabled ensures seamless integration with the evolving internet landscape.
• Assign Multiple IP Addresses: IPv6 allows you to assign multiple IPv6 addresses to the same device, enabling flexible network configurations and potential security benefits.

Modern routers and operating systems generally include built-in IPv6 support, often requiring only simple configuration changes to the operating system to enable it.

It’s important to understand the benefits and challenges of implementing IPv6 on the Internet and local networks. We will inevitably all need to transition to IPv6 in the future, and the transition may present some hurdles.

What Is the Difference Between IPv4 and IPv6?

Hopefully, by now you should have a good understanding of IPv6. If like me, you are more than familiar with IPV4, the transition to IPv6 may seem like a daunting task. In this section, we will highlight the key differences between IPv4 and IPv6.

This table outlines the key distinctions between them, focusing on the technical attributes.

IPv6 addresses the limitations of IPv4, primarily the scarcity of unique addresses. IPv6 also offers inherent security enhancements and improved support for multicast communication. While IPv4 remains dominant, the transition to IPv6 is essential for the continued growth and evolution of the internet.

Weaknesses of IPv6

While IPv6 offers lots of benefits, it’s crucial to acknowledge its challenges and limitations.

• Transition Complexity: The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is a difficult task to complete, requiring careful planning and coordination. Compatibility issues often surface with older devices that do not support IPv6. Techniques like dual-stacking and tunneling can help with the transition, but it can also introduce unwanted networking complexity.
• Adoption Rate: Although IPv6 adoption is increasing, it’s still not universally available. Some ISPs do not offer native IPv6 connectivity, and some websites and services still solely rely on IPv4. This problem leads to connectivity issues for users attempting to access IPv6-only resources. A slow adoption rate discourages users from fully embracing it.
• Security Concerns: While IPv6 has built-in security features, it also introduces new attack vectors. For example, broadcast packets can be used for malicious purposes, and router advertisements can be spoofed. As a result, organizations need to be on-top of their security practices to address these new challenges.
• Configuration Challenges: IPv6’s expanded address space and configuration options are more complex than IPv4. Manual configuration is time-consuming and error-prone. Proper address assignment and IP management is essential for a smooth IPv6 deployment, requiring technically advanced network engineers.

However, cloud hosting providers like Atlantic.Net are actively promoting IPv6 adoption, offering our customer networks seamless IPv6 integration and support on the ACP platform.

IPv6 on Atlantic.Net

Atlantic.Net fully supports IPv6 on its platform, aligning with the industry’s move toward the next-generation internet protocol. We provide a range of features and configuration capabilities and benefits for customers seeking to leverage IPv6’s capabilities:

Features:

• IPv6 Enablement: Atlantic.Net allows users to enable IPv6 on their cloud servers, either during the initial server creation process or at a later time from the ACP console.
• Address Allocation: Each cloud server with IPv6 enabled receives 16 IPv6 addresses for use.
• Network Configuration: While Atlantic.Net automatically allocates IPv6 addresses, users are responsible for configuring their server’s network settings to utilize these addresses.
• Dual-Stack Support: Atlantic.Net supports dual-stack configurations, allowing servers to operate with both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously, ensuring compatibility with both legacy and modern services.

Benefits:

• Improved Performance: IPv6’s efficiency gains can translate to faster and more responsive applications for our customers, particularly for services that rely on real-time data exchange.
• Future-Proofing: By supporting IPv6, we ensure that our customers’ infrastructure is prepared for the future growth of the internet and the increasing number of connected devices.
• NAT Elimination: With IPv6, our customers can bypass the need for NAT, simplifying network configurations and enabling direct end-to-end communication between devices.

IPv6 represents the future of the Internet. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of IPv6, as well as the key technologies and terminology involved, you can make informed decisions about how to best use this next-generation protocol in your network environment.

Cloud providers like Atlantic.Net play a crucial role in facilitating this transition by providing the necessary tools, valuable services, and infrastructure to support IPv6 adoption.

Don’t get left behind. Make the switch to IPv6 today!