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'''Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)''' is the version of [[Internet protocol]] which supports the 128-bit [[IP Address|IP addresses]]. It has been developed as the next generation protocol to increase the 4 billion IP Addresses available and it will eventually replace the nearly exhausted [[IPv4]], which supports 32-bit address space.<ref>[http://www.iana.org/about/glossary/ www.iana,org]</ref> IPv6 has been developed to provide advantages over the current internet protocol. It is expected to solve several network problems by eliminating the need for [[NAT|Network Address Translation]] (NAT).

'''Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)''' is a version of [[Internet Protocol|the IP protocol]] which supports 128-bit [[IP Address|IP addresses]]. It has been developed as the next generation protocol to increase the 4 billion IP Addresses available and it will eventually replace the nearly exhausted [[IPv4]], which supports 32-bit address space.<ref>[http://www.iana.org/about/glossary/ www.iana,org]</ref> IPv6 has been developed to provide advantages over the current internet protocol. It is expected to solve several network problems by eliminating the need for [[NAT|Network Address Translation]] (NAT).

In late December 2015, IPv6 reached 10% adoption worldwide. <ref>[http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/01/ipv6-celebrates-its-20th-birthday-by-reaching-10-percent-deployment/ Ars Technica-IPv6 Reaches 10%]</ref> Late december 2019 it reached around 30% adoption worldwide, according to measurements by Google.

In late December 2015, IPv6 reached 10% adoption worldwide. <ref>[http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/01/ipv6-celebrates-its-20th-birthday-by-reaching-10-percent-deployment/ Ars Technica-IPv6 Reaches 10%]</ref> Late december 2019 it reached around 30% adoption worldwide, according to measurements by Google.

==Background==

==Background==

As early as 1990, internet experts predicted that the 4 billion available IP addresses under the IPv4 were not enough to accommodate the rapid growth of internet users worldwide. During the [[IETF|Internet Engineering Task Force]] Meeting (IETF) in Vancouver in 1990, [[Phil Gross]], Chairman of the [[IESG|Internet Steering Group]] (IESG), together with [[Frank Solensky]] and [[Sue Hares]], noted that the Class B space will be exhausted as early as March, 1994. The solution to the problem was to assign multiple Class C address.This expansion signaled a great problem, which meant deciding whether to limit the size and growth rate of the Internet or to disrupt the network by changing to new strategies or technology.<ref>[http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc1752/?include_text=1 RFC 1752]</ref>

As early as 1990, internet experts predicted that the 4 billion available IP addresses under the IPv4 would not be enough to accommodate the rapid growth of internet users worldwide. During the [[IETF|Internet Engineering Task Force]] Meeting (IETF) in Vancouver in 1990, [[Phil Gross]], Chairman of the [[IESG|Internet Steering Group]] (IESG), together with [[Frank Solensky]] and [[Sue Hares]], noted that the Class B space will be exhausted as early as March, 1994. The solution to the problem was to assign multiple Class C address.This expansion signaled a great problem, which meant deciding whether to limit the size and growth rate of the Internet or to disrupt the network by changing to new strategies or technology.<ref>[http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc1752/?include_text=1 RFC 1752]</ref>

In 1991, the [[IAB|Internet Architecture Board]] (IAB) recommended the need for additional address flexibility. Based on this recommendation, the [[IETF|Internet Engineering Task Force]] formed the  Routing and Addressing (Road) Group to  examine the consumption of address space and the exponential growth in inter-domain routing entries.<ref>[http://www.potaroo.net/papers/2002-10-ipv6/IPv6.pdf IP Version 6 Geoff Huston]</ref> The Road Group enumerated three possible serious problems, which include:<ref>[http://www.rfc-archive.org/getrfc.php?rfc=1519 RFC Archive]</ref>Exhaustion of the class B network address space, Growth of routing tables in Internet routers beyond the ability of current software, hardware, and people to effectively manage it, and eventual exhaustion of the 32-bit IP address space. It also recommended immediate and long term solutions which included the adoption of CIDR route aggregation proposal, reducing the growth rate of routing table, and called for proposals "to form working groups to explore separate approaches for bigger Internet addresses."<ref>[http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc1752/?include_text=1 RFC 1752]</ref>  

In 1991, the [[IAB|Internet Architecture Board]] (IAB) recommended the need for additional address flexibility. Based on this recommendation, the [[IETF|Internet Engineering Task Force]] formed the  Routing and Addressing (Road) Group to  examine the consumption of address space and the exponential growth in inter-domain routing entries.<ref>[http://www.potaroo.net/papers/2002-10-ipv6/IPv6.pdf IP Version 6 Geoff Huston]</ref> The Road Group enumerated three possible serious problems, which include:<ref>[http://www.rfc-archive.org/getrfc.php?rfc=1519 RFC Archive]</ref>Exhaustion of the class B network address space, Growth of routing tables in Internet routers beyond the ability of current software, hardware, and people to effectively manage it, and eventual exhaustion of the 32-bit IP address space. It also recommended immediate and long term solutions which included the adoption of CIDR route aggregation proposal, reducing the growth rate of routing table, and called for proposals "to form working groups to explore separate approaches for bigger Internet addresses."<ref>[http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc1752/?include_text=1 RFC 1752]</ref>  

IPv6 supports the following three IP address types:

IPv6 supports the following three IP address types:

* [[Unicast Address]]

* [[Unicast Address]]

* [[Multicast Address]]

* [[Multicast Address]]

Unicast and multicast messaging in IPv6 are conceptually the same as in IPv4. IPv6 does not support broadcast, but its multicast mechanism accomplishes essentially the same effect. Multicast addresses in IPv6 start with 'FF' (255) just like IPv4 addresses.

Unicast and multicast messaging in IPv6 are conceptually the same as in IPv4. IPv6 does not support broadcast, but its multicast mechanism accomplishes essentially the same effect. Multicast addresses in IPv6 start with 'FF' (255) just like IPv4 addresses.