Windows 7 - Internet approaches addressing limit

IPv4 is a protocol used to connect computers and devices on a net work. IPv6 is a new protocol that does the same. It is not in widespread use. If I am not mistaken, Win 7 uses IPv6 for home groups. Wiki has some good information on IPv6.

Think of it like a house address (and phone/fax number). Every house, apartment, business needs an address (and a phone is always good too) so that people can find them, deliver things, and contact them. IPv4 is a shorter (four 8-bit segments), while IPv6 is MUCH longer (eight 16-bit segments).

IPv4 has 32bit addresses (so a 32 digit address), and is written in 4 segments from 0 to 255
IPv6 has 128bit addresses (a 128 digit address), and is written in 8 segments in hexidecimal.

This means that we are running out of IPv4 addresses. There are only 4,294,967,296 IPv4 addresses (2^32 addresses as 32 bit means 2 to that power).
The only option is to move to IPv6, which has upwards of 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,770,000,000 unique IP addresses. (3.4*10^38)(2^128).

The main difference is that IPv4 is a 32bit system, and IPv6 is a 128 bit system.

~Lordbob

Hence, we will never really run out of IP's!

Bill

Heh yeah, the demise of the IPv4 address space has been trumpeted every couple of years for the last uh, 10-12 yers that I remember.

Now sooner or later they may be right, but when you've read the same story 6 times now...

But yeah, IPv6SHOULD be moved into place for all external addresses as soon as possible. It's been SO long coming (Like 64 bit computing). But internally there is still very little reason to have every machine internet addressable. In fact it's generaly the exact opposite to what anyone wants. So interally all machines will still be IPv4 on private networks with only the gateway machines and direct internet appliances that connect to the big bad web needing to be switched to IPv6.

Since the INAA has approved the right of other countries to create their own domains, why can't the US do the same? I'm assuming that those numerical limits are defined by the potential size of a single domain.

Domains are just a human readable version of an IP address. Each domain has a corresponding IP it links to, see DNS servers.

Understood, but does that mean that every time a country opts to create it's own domain, that it requires a large block of IPs to be taken from the overall availability? I have never paid any attention, but does .com, .net, .org and .gov not have any repetition of IP numbers. If not, then it really doesn't make any sense to me to allow any particular country to create it's own domain, when this would only shrink the number of IPs available.

No, the availability of using non-romanic characters in domain names or opening up other registrars does not change the number or avilability of IP addresses at all.

More people wanting IP addresses (and the possibly associated domain name) does.

You stole the words out of my mouth!

Okay, so the IPv4 and IPv6 are just Internet Protocol version 4 and version 6 then. Alright, the v4 and v6 was throwing me off. I had a slight idea that it meant Internet protocol but it didnt connect in my brain because of the v4 and v6. That and ive never seen anyone lable as such, ive always just seen IP, IPA, IPC.


Ahhh alright, yeah that would be bad. Well i guess the internet has come along way from the old days then but it dfoes make alot mroe sense to be running out of IPv4 right about now since the world is evolving to be more technologically advanced and with more and more people coming into the world and requiring thier own IPs eachday. Kinda surprised it hasn't run out already.. but the backup of IPv6 will take over within a year and couple months then since IPv4 will be gone and dimished. So when that happens, will people be forced to upgrade thier systems or will they get new IPswithout the upgrade? this is pertaining to the people running the newer systems such as vista or Windows 7. XP or below (surprisingly i do know a few people that are still running win 98-2000) will more then likely be forced regardless..