Future-Ready Networking: The Significance of IPv6 Adoption

As you read this post, contemplate the contrasts in existence—some aspects are finite, constrained by specific limits, while others, such as the universe expanding at 67.5 km per second, extend into infinite dimensions. Consider Earth, our home, with its finite expanse of 510.1 million km² amid the vast cosmos. Like the universe, the internet, a vast digital landscape, is yet to face its limits. For this discussion, let's entertain the idea of its growth as boundless and infinite.

Follow along as I oversimplify the idea.

Back in 1974, when the internet protocol was invented, the designers did not anticipate the infinite growth of its capabilities. Enter IPv4—a 32-bit address field used by internet devices to communicate with each other, akin to sending a letter to your friend with their address as 12 numbers or 32 bits, sectioned in 4 sectors (111.222.333.444). The problem with this protocol is that every device requires its own address, leaving us with only 4,294,967,296 unique addresses.

Some might think nearly 4.3 billion would be sufficient, right?

Well, the problem is much bigger than expected. In 2023, there are over 15 billion connected IoT devices worldwide, with this number expected to double by 2030. Don't worry; in 1992, people with more foresight than us folk came up with a temporary solution for managing the limited network space - enter Network Address Translation or NAT.

NAT is a method of mapping an IP address space into another by modifying network address information in the IP header while they are in transit across a routing device. Confused? Imagine a school with 30 classrooms, each with 30 kids in each classroom. Each student is assigned a local IP address (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x). The principal is the routing device which knows all their students' addresses. When one student (device) wants to message another student in a different school of similar standing, the principal translates this message and sends the message using a singular address. Subsequently, the receiving principal translates this message and routes it to the specific student within their school. Essentially it turns a potential 1800 unique addresses (2 * schools of 900 addresses) into 2 addresses (2 * principals). It's a little more complex, but you get the idea.

Unfortunately, this was only a band-aid to the bigger problem. With the world population almost reaching 8 billion and counting, and most individuals having nearly 2-3 IoT devices, 4.3 billion unique addresses just isn't enough. Lucky for us, IPv4 has a big sister called IPv6 which doesn’t solve our infinite problem, but with nearly 3.4x10^38 unique addresses or 340 trillion trillion trillion addresses, finite is a long way away.

Now, what does IPv6 offer - besides having more room for our devices?

IPv6 was designed with intelligence involved, allowing for multiple types of addresses that individually hold a purpose to their usage: Unicast, Multicast, and Anycast. The boring technical details can be found here.

IPv6 also implemented security features to mitigate current attack methods, allowing for a more secure internet with less confusion of traffic. Think of this like having 12 highways built into 1. The adaptation of IPv6 hasn’t been the fastest; nevertheless, the world has adapted at a very constant pace. Most notably in India, where the population has seen record growth over the past 6 decades.

Despite that, humans are inherently fickle beings who resist the prospect of change.

Consider, for example, Android's refusal to support DHCPv6 and Microsoft's delayed adoption of SLAAC until the Windows 10 Creator Update—both pivotal IPv6 address assignment protocols.

Yet, this narrow-minded view is an obstacle to a more significant issue. When contemplating migration or adaptation, consider the parity of Feature versus Function. Functions are goals achieved with a tool or system, like an aircraft landing. Features are tools aiding functions, such as the wheels supporting landing and takeoff.

To achieve feature parity with IPv6 integration, everyone must support all its features. However, for businesses today, embracing select features aligning with their needs is more practical. This functional approach meets their operational needs without incurring unnecessary expenses associated with accommodating all IPv6 features. Grasping the distinction between the two will serve as the key to effectively addressing the IPv6 adoption, allowing for a generally more infinite landscape of internet connectivity. 

If you've followed this far, thank you for exploring the evolving landscape of information.

Curious about your digital footprint?

Open a terminal or command prompt, type 'ipconfig,' and find your unique IPv6 address.

Nevertheless,

0xJeh