Comparing Ipv4 and Ipv6 - Essay Example

The 32-bit addressing system employs packet switching to facilitate communication. IPv4 can thus be treated as an upgrade of IPV4, to improve the IP protocol system.   There are a number of significant dereferences between the two protocols that will be essential in determining one’s choice for usage. Discussed below are the major differences:

Address length- IPv4 is a 32-bit address while IPv6 is a 128 bit. This is the basic difference observable at a glance. These DNS names differ by a wide margin if compared by the number of addresses each can yield. In fact, to completely cover the IPv6 address, it is written in hexadecimal numbers as compared to IPv4 written in dotted decimal numbers. These forms of representation are all interpreted in form of binary numbers by the computers (Huitema, 1996).

Packet header-generally, packet headers are always affixed at the start of Internet protocol addresses. It normally contains the address of the destination of a given packet. IPv4 has got packet headers only. This differs from IPv6 that has the header, although with more advanced functionalities. The header of IPv4 is 20 bits as compared to the 40 bits of IPv6. The advancement in the header allows the addition of extension headers, a functionality not provided for by IPv4 computers (Huitema, 1996).

• Address resolution- the process of address resolution involves mapping of various IP addresses to the MAC address or rather, a link address. IPv4 employs the RFC 826. This is an Ethernet address resolution protocol. This resolution protocol has over the years exposed users to cyber threats because the protocol is within the link layer. IPv6 on the other hand makes use of Neighbor discovery Address resolution. Its protection is secured because the IPSec is employed to secure the connection in tunnel or transport mode (Amoss, & Minoli, 2008).

Transmission modes- Both two protocols support unicast transmission and multicast transmission. IPv4 supports broadcast transmission computers (Huitema, 1996) which are not supported in IPv6.

Configuration- users of IPv4 have to ensure all configurations are done prior to internet usage. The IP address and routes have to be predefined. On the other hand, IPv6 offers options depending on the nature of the connection required. One can connect over the Ethernet adapter and run a loopback interface. The configuration will be less mandatory especially if an IPv6 user is used.

Reasons why enterprises should move to IPv6.

IPv6 has been discussed to be a modern addressing system giving it an edge over IPv4. Below are some reasons why companies should move to this mode of address:

• It provides a more efficient and reliable routing practice. The sizes of routing tables are smaller here and clients’ prefixes can automatically be aggravated (Amoss, & Minoli, 2008).
• The packet processing is more reliable and efficient. It has no IP-level checksum thus there is no need to do recalculations while hopping. This eliminates errors in the communication network. In addition to this, Network configuration is simplified in IPv6.
• The enterprise can benefit in case they will be involved in activities that require large bandwidths. This is because IPv6 multicast functionality allows large bandwidth utilization in activities like media-streaming.
• The enterprise is also bound to benefit in terms of security. IPv6 was discussed to involve futures of IPSec, this improves authentication and integrity of data (Amoss, & Minoli, 2008).