Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
Internet Protocol Address
An internet protocol address, commonly known as an IP address, is a numeric code connected to a computer network and uses IP for communicating. An IP address is managed globally by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The network administrators provide an IP address to different devices. The internet protocol address mainly performs two functions, namely:
- Identifying its network interface.
- Telling the location of the user of the device.
Versions of internet protocol
There were many versions of IP numbered from v1 and v9, but today we mainly use two versions of IP i.e.
- Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4).
- Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
IPv4
The Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) was the first version deployed for production on SATNET in 1982 and on the ARPANET in January 1983. It is still used to route most Internet traffic today. It was divided into 2 parts: the network identifier and the rest field. The first part of the address, which was the network identifier, was the most significant part. It had a maximum of 256 network identifiers allowed in it; this was found to be insufficient and was replaced by classful networking in 1981. This type of networking had classes, namely A, B, C, D, E, which were assigned different roles in the address. For instance, classes A, B, C are given the function of network identification while D and E are for multicast addressing and for future applications, respectively. The IPv4 header is variable in size due to the optional 14th field (options). The IHL field contains the size of the IPv4 header; it has 4 bits that specify the number of 32-bit words in the header. The minimum value for this field is 5, so the minimum size IPv4 is 60 bytes.
IPv6
The Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the successor to the Internet, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4); unlike the previous version, it has a 128-bit header that is quite large compared to the previous version. IPv6 every address has a scope.
These scopes are mainly divided into:
- Unicast.
- Multicast.
Unicast addresses are further divided into 2 parts:
- Link-local addresses: their scope is limited to the local level or local area. These cannot be accessed outside the local network.
- Unique local addresses: They have global scope, but they are not globally administered because only specific devices in the administration are allowed in the addresses.
Here, the second octet identifies the address scope, i.e., the multicast packet’s domain should be propagated. Some of the already defined scopes are given below:
Value | Scope Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
0x0 | reserved | |
0x1 | interface-local | The interface-local scope spans only a single interface on a node. It is useful only for loopback transmission of multicast. |
0x2 | link-local | It is specified to a particular region. |
0x3 | realm-local | The realm-local scope is defined as larger than link-local, automatically determined by the network topology. It must not be larger than the following scopes. |
0x4 | admin-local | The admin-local scope is the smallest scope that must be administratively configured. |
0x5 | site-local | The site-local scope is intended to span a single site belonging to an organization. |
0x8 | organization-local | The organization-local scope is intended to span all sites belonging to a single organization. |
0xe | global | The global scope spans all reachable nodes on the internet – it is unbounded |
IPV4 is necessary to encrypt data to ensure privacy. It takes security measures to encrypt data in its address packets.
Advantages of IPV4
- It is acceptable by almost every device in the world.
- IPv4 takes great measures to deliver data packets right to its host.
Advantages of IPV6
- More Efficient Routing.
- Simplified Network Configuration.
- Support For New Services.
Difference between IPV4 and IPV6:
Parameter of Comparison | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
Version | Fourth, first dominant | Sixth, latest most advanced |
Addressing System | 32-bit operating scheme | 128-bit operating scheme |
Addressing Type | Unicast, multicast, broadcast | Unicast, multicast, anycast |
Addressing Limit | Addresses limited to five classes; from A to E | Unlimited IP addresses |
Address Masking | Uses Network Access Translation (NAT) to spread routing from one to many | Does not require further spreading of addresses due to unlimited address spacing |
Routing System | IPv4 uses RIP, Routing Information Protocol supporting routing daemon | IPv6 uses static routes |
Network Configuration | Manual configuration or with DHCP | Automatic configuration |
System Configuration | Newly installed system configuration is required | Based on function, the configuration is optional |
Internet Protocol Security | Does not have security privilege | Have built-in Internet Protocol Security |
Packet Size | 576 bytes required | 1208 bytes required |
Packet Fragmentation | Fragmentation is optional; permitting from routers and sending hosts | Fragmentation is not required, permitting only for sending hosts. |
Local Subnet Group Management | IPv4 uses Internet Group Management Protocol (GMP) | Fragmentation is not required, permitting only for sending hosts. |
Maintenance | Due to several overlays for internet growth, IPv4 requires regular maintenance. | Auto-configuration capability decreases maintenance demands in IPv6 |
Conclusion
In this article, we learned about the concepts of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), their advantages and the difference between the two.
