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Difference between IPV4 and IPV6 with table

We explain the difference between IPV4 and IPV6 with table. The basic difference between IPv4 and IPv6 is the standard version of the Internet protocol that they both support. Obviously from the names, IPv4 is version 4 of the Internet Protocol and IPv6 is version 6 of the Internet Protocol.

The Internet Protocol, also known as IP, is the main communication protocol established by the Internet through the transfer of datagrams across the boundaries of the network.

It is operated by two IP addresses, one is the host source and the other is the destination address. Both versions of IP primarily perform the same function, however, they vary in technique.

IPv4 is a 32-bit operating scheme that supports 4 billion IP addresses, while IPv6 is a 128-bit operating scheme that supports up to 340 billion addresses, therefore a huge upgrade from IPv4.

IPv4 is the main internet network protocol running 94% of internet traffic right now, yet it is falling short on IP addresses due to ever-increasing demand. IPv6 is developed to compensate for the shortage of IP addresses.

But it is not just an upgrade in various directions, but also in all other features and qualities of the network.

Comparison table between IPV4 and IPV6 (in tabular form)

Comparison Parameter IPv4 IPv6

Version	Fourth, first dominant	Sixth, last most advanced
Addressing system	32-bit operating scheme	128-bit operating scheme
Address assignment	Short; Numeric binary bits separated by dots	Long; Alphanumeric groups separated by colons
Addressing type	Unicast, multicast, broadcast	Unicast, multicast, anycast
Direction limit	Addresses limited to five classes; from A to E	Unlimited IP addresses
Address masking	Uses network access translation (NAT) to distribute one-to-many routing	Does not require further extension of addresses due to unlimited address spacing
Routing system	IPv4 uses RIP, the routing information protocol that the routing daemon supports	IPv6 uses static routes
network settings	Manual or DHCP configuration	Automatic configuration
System configuration	A newly installed system configuration is required	Depending on the function, the setting is optional
Internet protocol security	You have no security privileges	Has built-in internet protocol security
Pack size	576 bytes required	1208 bytes required
Package fragmentation	Fragmentation is optional; allowing from routers and sending hosts	Fragmentation is not required; allowing only to send hosts
Local subnet group management	IPv4 uses the Internet Group Management Protocol (GMP)	IPv6 uses Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)
MAC address assignment	IPv4 implements the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) to map to the MAC address	IPv6 implements the Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) to map to the MAC address
System management	IPv4 uses the Simple Network Management Protocol	IPv6 does not use the Simple Network Management Protocol
Maintenance	Due to various overlaps for internet growth, IPv4 requires regular maintenance	Automatic configuration capability reduces maintenance demands on IPv6

What is IPV4?

IPv4 is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol, one of the first dominant standard protocols that ARPANET implemented for production in 1983.

It is a 32-bit operating scheme that routes Internet connections through a hosting source that transfers datagrams or other data packets to destination IP addresses.

IPv4 runs on binary numeric addresses separated by a period. Each Internet connection has a unique IP address, and IPv4 supports 4 billion such addresses.

IPv4 is a connectionless protocol that creates a virtual communication layer on many different types of devices. The simplicity of its bit operation requires less memory and its function is easier and more user-friendly.

It is still considered the most widely used Internet protocol, supports a wide variety of devices, and offers audio / video libraries, documentation transfer, and conference communication.

What is IPV6?

IPv6 is the sixth newest version of the Internet Protocol, established by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in 1994. It is a 128-bit operating system that identifies the locations of Internet networks on computers and directs the traffic through Internet networks.

IPv6 was developed to overcome the IP address shortage in the previously running IPv4 and supports more than 3.4 × 10 ^ 38 addresses. This expansion complicates unique addressing for each Internet connection device, and therefore the IP address for IPv6 is a long alphanumeric arrangement of 8 groups separated by colons.

IPv6 is a categorized routing and addressing infrastructure, running on identifying computer locations in stateful or stateless configuration. Its hierarchical routing assignment facilitates multicasting and provides further optimization by improving the quality of service.

Main differences between IPV4 and IPV6

IPv4 is a 32-bit IP system, while IPv6 is a 128-bit IP system
IPv4 supports 4 billion addresses / networks, while IPv6 supports 340 × 10 ^ 38 addresses / networks
IPv4 has 12 header fields, checksum fields, and supports streaming, while IPv6 has 8 header fields, no checksum fields, and does not support streaming.
IPv4 is considered less suitable for mobile devices due to its dot-separated binary address, while IPv6 is considered mobile-friendly due to its colon-separated hexadecimal alphanumeric address.
IPv4 was not designed with security in mind as a key factor, while IPv6 was designed with built-in Internet Protocol security with a designated key infrastructure
IPv4 supports Virtual Length Subnet Mask (VLSM) and is configured manually, while IPv6 supports VLSM and is also configured automatically.

Final Thought

After its upgrade to the Draft Standard by the IETF in 2017, IPv6 was identified as the Internet standard and is expected to replace IPv4 universally.

Although the key purpose of the development of IPv6 was to allow a generalized network because IPv4, which has been used for several years, has limited addresses available.

With the rapid increase in networking options and the use of the Internet on all types of devices, the demand for IP addresses has increased exponentially over the past two decades.

In addition to the vast expansion in addressing available in IPv6, it also provides hierarchical address assignment methods that allow route aggregation over the Internet.

This method has reduced the spread of routing tables and simplified the provision of Internet services on global networks.

Therefore, a change is required. Although the two systems are not designed to be interoperable, as the shift from IPv4 to IPv6 remains complex but with the advancement in Internet configurations, a variety of transition methods are being developed to facilitate this move.