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IPv6

In order for computers and other equipment to be able to communicate with each other over the Internet, they must use the same set of rules for this communication, the same protocol. It is this Internet Protocol that is abbreviated IP. Today, the Internet is still almost completely dominated by the fourth version of the protocol, IPv4, which was developed already back in 1981.

IPv6 cures the Internet’s growing pains

However, there is a major problem with IPv4 which has an ever increasing impact and is expected to become really serious by the years 2010-11. It is connected to the fact that the so-called IP addresses, i.e. the unique number series which identify each connected device on the Internet, consist of 32 bits. From this follows that with IPv4 there can only be slightly more than four billion unique IP addresses. As the world becomes increasingly connected there is, simply put, a shortage of addresses on the Internet.

The solution for this shortage of addresses is to implement a new version of the protocol, IPv6*, which was developed already in the mid-nineties. With IPv6 the IP addresses become 128 bits long instead of 32, which means that the total number of possible addresses is virtually unlimited. In order to demonstrate this, it suffices to explain that with IPv6 there could be approximately 5 x 10 28 IP addresses for every individual on earth. This means that you yourself could have your very own 50 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 IP addresses!

* There is also an IPv5. However, this was never meant as a successor to IPv4, but rather an experimental protocol for supporting sound, video and voice communication.

• IPv6 Report June 2008 (Swedish)
• Ipv6 Readiness Report June 2008 (Swedish)