Difference Between IPv4 and IPv6

This article tells you about IPv4 and IPv6 protocols. If you are reading this post it means you must be working with networks and internet protocols. I would say you are on the right page.

We will briefly tell you all important aspects of both IP versions.

IPv4 and IPv6 both belong to an IP Address whereas IP stands for Internet Protocol.

If you have missed one of our previous posts which explains all about an IP Address. Additionally, how to find your IP address on your Windows, please check the link below:

[Read: What is an IP Address and How to Find it?]

What is IPv4?

The IPv4 version is the fourth version of the internet protocol and is designed for a 32-bit type binary format, containing around 232 addresses in this range. is most commonly used to identify devices on a network using an IP addressing system.

IPv4 address is numerically based with 4 fields which are separated by a dot (.)

An example of an IPv4 – 10.243.222.101

What is IPv6?

The IPv6 version is the most recent version (latest) of the internet protocol and is designed for 128 bits and is far better than IPv4 in terms of complexity and efficiency.

An IPv6 address is alphanumeric based consisting of 8 fields which are separated by a colon (:).

An example of an IPv6 – 3011:0fb7:0200:4070:0100:7f00:9042:6654

What are the major differences between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses?

Here is the list of major differences between:

IPv4	IPv6
IPv4 has a 32-bit IP address	IPv6 has a 128-bit IP address
Example – 10.243.222.101	Example – 3011:0fb7:0200:4070:0100:7f00:9042:6654
The IPv4 offers just five different classes of IP Addresses. Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D and Class E	lPv6 allows storing an unlimited number of IP Addresses. It does not include any class type.
Networks need to be configured either manually or with DHCP	IPv6 supports auto configuration capabilities
It allows a single NAT Network address translation) address	It allows direct addressing because of vast address space.
Allows access from routers and sending host	Sending hosts only
Configured manual or via DHCP	Address auto-configuration using Internet Control Message Protocol version 6
The IPv4 address uses dot-decimal notation hence, it is not suitable for mobile networks.	IPv6 is better suited for mobile networks.
IPv4 does not provide any mandatory security measures	IPv6 provides an integrated Internet Protocol Security
IPv4 can be converted to IPv6	Not all IPv6 can be converted to IPv4
Checksumfield is available in IPv4	Checksumfield is not available in IPv6