What do IPV4 and IPV6 mean, and what is the difference between them?
IPv4 and IPv6 are protocols for identifying devices on networks. IPv4, with 32 bits, faces address exhaustion, while IPv6, with 128 bits, offers many more options.
What is an IP?
An IP address (short for Internet Protocol) is a unique address that identifies a device on the Internet or in a local network. The IP address is the basic component on which any network is built. It is a logical address that is used to identify the location of a device within a network. The IP addresses of certain devices can be changed by the network administrator (for example, the IP allocated to a hosting account).
What is IPV4?
"Internet Protocol version 4" (IPv4) is the fourth version of the "Internet Protocol" (IP). This is one of the core protocols of networks on the Internet and was the first version implemented for production in ARPANET in 1983. Most internet traffic is still routed through IPV4, although the newer version of IP (IPV6) has been released since 2012. The major issue with IPV4 is the exhaustion of available IP addresses, which has led to the need for the development of a new IP version (IPv6).
What is IPV6?
"Internet Protocol version 6" (IPv6) is the latest version of "Internet Protocol" (IP). IPv6 was developed by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) to address the issue of IPv4 address exhaustion. IPV6 will completely replace IPV4 in the future.
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
An IPv4 address consists of a sequence of 32 bits, while an IPv6 address consists of a sequence of 128 bits. Consequently, IPv6 has many more IP addresses than IPv4.
IPv4 notation is obtained by writing each octet in decimal form, separated by dots, while IPv6 addresses are most often written in the form of 8 groups of 4 hexadecimal digits, each group being separated by colons (:)
The coverage of IPv4 is much larger than that of IPv6 on a global level.
There are many technical differences between the two protocols that cannot be covered in this article, but the primary purpose of both versions is to identify the location of a device in a network.
Do you offer dedicated IPv6?
Yes, all hosting packages come with dedicated IPv6 included. The exception is the VPS hosting packages with the Webuzo panel, which do not yet support this protocol. VPSs with cPanel or Plesk support this protocol.
What should I choose between IPv6 and IPv4?
There is no need to choose between the two types of addresses:
-each hosting package comes with both addresses allocated: IPv6 and IPv4 (shared or dedicated)
-if a website visitor has an internet connection and a router that supports IPv6, they will connect through this protocol. If there is a network or router issue and the connection through IPv6 is not possible, the website visitor will connect through IPv4. In conclusion, the connection will be made through the available protocol of the visitor.
Do I need a dedicated IPv4?
Information regarding dedicated IPv4 can be found at the link Resource Usage, section Dedicated IP vs Shared IP.