Chapter 9
IPv6: IP on Steroids
In This Chapter
Protocols in this chapter: IPv6, IPv4, NAT, CIDR, DHCP, NDP, ARP, DAD, IPSec
Uncovering which IPv4 issues need fixing
Recognizing IPv6 address formats
Getting tips for setting up IPv6
Living the good life provided by autodiscovery, autoconfiguration, and autoregistration
Tasting the new IPv6 goodies: Better security, multimedia, real time, and mobile computing
Discovering that IPv4 and IPv6 can coexist
If you’re interested in the new IPv6 protocols and addresses, this chapter is for you. At first glance, IPv6 protocols and addresses seem more complicated than in IPv4. Take a deep breath, count to ten, and rest assured that IPv6 can make your life a lot easier. Several IPv4 limitations led to the development of IPv6.
Say Hello to IPv6
IPv6 is the Internet protocol designed to replace IPv4. The IPv4’s address space offers 4,294,967,296 possible unique addresses. That’s not nearly enough, though, to meet the demand for globally unique IP addresses. Remember that it isn’t just the obvious computers and routers that need IP addresses — other devices include smartphones, the computer under your car’s hood, your GPS device, robots, and medical devices, such as select pacemakers and their monitoring systems. As you can see, one person might need several IP addresses, and the IPv4 address space just isn’t large enough to cover the demand that’s expected in the next couple of years.
IPv6 offers 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,770,000,000 ...
