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White Paper | D-Link Solutions

IPv6 Routing
Preparing Your Network
for the Future

Today’s Internet is being gradually replaced by tomorrow’s Internet.
Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) is slowly being supplemented by
Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), a newer, more robust suite of
protocols and standards designed to dramatically increase the pool
of global IP addresses,simplify network administration, resolve
security and mobility issues, and improve Quality of Service (QoS).
Services providers around the world are starting to examine new
IPv6 equipment and explore the implications of the changes to
come. This White Paper defines and describes IPv6, explores the
advantages of the new protocol, and introduces D-Link’s new IPv6
and IPv4 compliant solutions.D-Link-IPv6 Routing-PreparingYourNetworkForTheFuture_AW.indd 1

23/05/2011 10:16

White Paper | D-Link Solutions

Defining IPv6
Most of the existing Internet is currently Internet Protocol
Version 4 (IPv4), the 30-year-old protocol that has done
a remarkable proficient job handling the Web boom.
IPv4 has not been substantially changed since RFC 791
was published in 1981, and it has afinite number of
addresses that are depleting at an increasing rate. New
devices, applications and the growth of the Internet in the
developing world are sucking up IP addresses.
The IETF designed Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) to
address the future shortage of IP addresses. As more
devices and applications that require IP addresses emerge,
more IP addresses are required. IPv6 -essentially a
network layer protocol for packet-switched internetworks
- quadruples the number of network address bits from
32 bits (in IPv4) to 128 bits. More bits mean more address
combinations, and we solve the address depletion
problem for decades to come. Switches and networking
gear that can handle IPv6 headers are needed to
accomplish this. IPv6 will eventually replace IPv4, but the
two canco-exist for as long as necessary.
IPv6 provides numerous other enhancements that will be
covered below, but this is a good working definition for
starters. It should also be noted that IPv6 was designed
with a minimum of additional new features in order to
have minimal impact on upper and lower layer protocols.

Additional Addresses and Beyond
The primary issue that IPv6 resolves is IPv4address
depletion. As more devices (like mobile phones, mobile
devices, and integrated IP appliances and utilities) come
into existence, they require unique addresses in order
to work optimally. IP-reliant applications also require
addresses. IPv6 resolves the address depletion issue,
enabling worldwide economic growth models and the
rapid pace of network innovation to continue expanding.The booming populations and growing economies in Asia,
for example, are depending upon IPv6 to enable rapid
build-out of their Internet infrastructures. Countries with

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more stable populations and historically sufficient address
space allocations - like the U.S., the European countries,
and Australia - may not beas hard pressed for address
growth as the Asian countries.
Addresses in IPv6 are 128 bits long versus 32 bits in IPv4.
The existing IPv4 protocol supports roughly 4.3 billion
addresses - enough to give almost every living person one
address. In contrast IPv6 supports approximately 5×1028
addresses for each of the 6.6 billion people on the planet
today. The number is a bit abstract, butnevertheless,
that’s a lot of computers, mobile phones, PDAs, IP cars, IP
dish washers, IP lighting systems, and IP tracking devices
per person... and room to grow.

As a result, IPv6 eliminates the need for Network Address
Translation (NAT) and other intermediary fixes, like address
reuse and temporary use allocations, that disrupt the endto-end nature of Internet traffic. Those methods...