I know that IPv6 was created in 1998 as a future-proofing, to make sure that there will be enough IP addresses in the works for large networks. IPv4 uses 32 bits and is represented with denary (0-9) while IPv6 uses 128 bits, so there are far more possible addresses, and it is represented using hexadecimal (0-9 then A-F).
What I’m wondering is why IPv4 is still so common, even though the number of devices connected to the internet have skyrocketed with more computers, laptops, smartphones, game consoles, embedded systems, etc. all connected! If it was thought that there would be too few available addresses in 1998, surely that has to be a bigger problem in the modern day?
Additionally, why didn’t IPv6 replace v4, even after nearly three decades of existing? Is it a technological limitation, cost, or something else?
And online I see many sysadmins online (!) complaining about IPv6 being more difficult to work with. Is this because the addresses are harder to remember, are adaptations of the protocol by manufacturers all different (similar to USB-C), or is there some other problem with IPv6? Or is this a case of a loud angry minority, especially in chat forums where people tend to have more polarised views?
Many devices do support IPv6, but it’s not universal like IPv4, despite the standard existing since 1998 and having many advantages. Why is this?
What’s the use case for a human ever having to do this manually?
Glad you asked. Gives me a chance to address the unexpected (??!) downvotes.
Maybe I made someone feel dumb? I can only hope. :]
I’m a network engineer. I recently passed the Cisco CCNA. About 20% of the test was subnetting and IPv6.
These skills are core to building networks, and you must demonstrate competency with the raw numerical manipulation.
its not about the doing. its about understanding the underlying data that forms the structure
The ‘doing’ part is more important that you indicate.
It’s easy once you get used to it. But yes, imo still needing to manually handle IPs is a major failure of IPv6. We recognized we needed many and therefore long addresses, but we forgot the human in the process.
This still only talks about the how, I don’t see why anyone would ever need to do these operations. Other than copy pasting them around for configuration purposes, why does it matter what form they take?
That’s what I’m saying. Currently you copy paste if possible or read it off a screen if not. Then you carry it to a network partner. See printers and static IPs.
Well, for 25 years of my career I got by using the subnet cheat sheet. (https://www.aelius.com/njh/subnet_sheet.html)
And then I got passed over for a couple jobs and decided to get the CCNA.
These skills are requisite. Mandatory. You ain’t passing without demonstrating competency in the above dance of digits.
I can write that entire subnet chart out from scratch and first principles now.