Differences: IPv4 vs IPv6

Differences between: IPv4 vs. IPv6:


  • Size of IP address
    • IPv4: 32-Bit IP Address.
    • IPv6: 128 Bit IP Address.
  • Number of header fields
    • IPv4: 12
    • IPv6: 8
  • Length of header filed:
    • IPv4: 20
    • IPv6: 40
  • Example
    • IPv4: 123.44.132.15
    • IPv6: 2001:0ca6:0000:0000:0000:dd00:0082:52a9
  • Type of Addresses
    • IPv4: Unicast, broadcast, and multicast.
    • IPv6: Unicast, multicast, and anycast.
  • Number of classes
    • IPv4: Offers five different classes of IP Address, Class A to E.
    • lPv6 Allows storing an unlimited number of IP Address.
  • Configuration You have to configure a newly installed system before it can communicate with other systems. In IPv6, the configuration is optional, depending upon on functions needed.
  • VLSM support IPv4 support VLSM (Virtual Length Subnet Mask). IPv6 does not offer support for VLSM.
  • Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
    • IPv4: Supports RIP routing.
    • IPv6: Does not support RIP routing, uses static routes.
  • Network Configuration
    • IPv4: Networks need to be configured either manually or with DHCP.
    • IPv6: Support auto-configuration capabilities.
  • Address Masks:
    • IPv4: Designated network from host portion.
    • IPv6: Not used.
  • SNMP (protocol used for system management):
    • IPv4: SNMP is supported.
    • IPv6: SNMP is not support.
  • Mobility and Interoperability:
    • IPv4: Relatively constrained network topologies to which move restrict mobility and interoperability capabilities.
    • IPv6: Provides interoperability and mobility capabilities which are embedded in network devices.
  • Packet size:
    • IPv4: 576 bytes required, optional fragmentation.
    • IPv6: 1208 bytes required without fragmentation.
  • Packet Fragmentation:
    • IPv4: Fragmentation is done by sending and forwarding routes.
    • IPv6: Fragmentation is done by the sender.
  • Packet header:
    • IPv4: Does not identify packet flow for QoS handling which includes checksum options.
    • IPv6: Packet head contains Flow Label field that specifies packet flow for QoS handling
  • DNS records:
    • IPv4: Address (A) records, maps hostnames
    • IPv6: Address (AAAA) records, maps hostnames
  • Local subnet Group management:
    • IPv4: Internet Group Management Protocol GMP)
    • IPv6: Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)
  • Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) [network security]:
    • IPv4: Optional, not designed with security in mind
    • IPv6: Mandatory, usable with a proper key infrastructure
  • Address configuration:
    • IPv4: Manual or via DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) whenever they connect to a network
    • IPv6: Stateless address autoconfiguration using ICMPv6 (Internet Control Message Protocol version 6) or DHCPv6
  • Mobile devices compatibility:
    • IPv4: address uses dot-decimal notation, which is not ideal for mobile networks.
    • IPv6: address uses colon-separated hexadecimal notation, which is better suited for mobile networks.
  • IP to MAC resolution:
    • IPv6: Broadcast ARP
    • IPv6: Multicast Neighbour Solicitation
  • Mapping IP Address to MAC address:
    • IPv4:Uses ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) .
    • IPv6:Uses NDP (Neighbour Discovery Protocol).
  • Optional Fields:
    • IPv4: Has optional fields
    • IPv6: No optional fields, has extension headers (if needed).
  • Checksum:
    • IPv4: Has checksum fields.
    • IPv6: Does not have checksum fields.