The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/27607
data that define the IP address. This allows for about 4.3 billion addresses (4,294,967,296). When IPv4 was first utilized, no one foresaw that devices such as smartphones, cars and even refrigerators would require IP addresses. IPv6, utilizing 128 bits of data, allows for 340 undecillion addresses (340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 — yes, that’s 36 zeros). With IPv6 in place, there will be enough unique addresses to allow every individual on the planet to have multiple addresses. Additional benefits include: • Stateless address auto configuration: A host can configure itself when connected to an IPv6 network without requiring a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. The host can also be configured via DHCP or manually by setting a static address • Mandatory support for IP Security (IPSEC) • Efficient router processing: The packet header and packet forwarding process has been simplified to reduce overhead in packet processing • Mobility: A device can move from one network to another while keeping the same IP address so that connections are not dropped during the move — a great feature for mobile devices • Jumbograms: This option allows for 4,294,967,295 octets of payload versus IPv4’s restriction of 65,535 Are You Prepared? It is important to note that IPv4 will not be purged from the Internet infrastructure anytime soon. IPv6 will run in parallel to Dale Qualls is the Director of Information Technology at Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP. Dale has been with Pattishall, McAuliffe since 1998 and uses OSS daily in the operations of the firm’s technology environment. Dale has been in the IT field for more than 20 years and holds technical certifications from both Novell and Microsoft. He can be reached at deq@pattishall.com. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 57 IPv4 for the foreseeable future to help support the transition and to provide support to legacy systems. But the day is coming, sooner rather than later, when new hosts on the IPv6 networks will not have IPv4 addresses to utilize. Accessing these websites may require the use of a proxy, gateway or tunneling system via an ISP. Now is the time to ensure that your ISP has either fully implemented IPv6 support or is at least making strides to put the proper technology in place so that your users will continue to have access to all of the resources that the Internet has to offer. This overview is only a small snippet of the vast world of IPv6 information. You can find more information and check your current availability to IPv6-enabled websites by using one of the tests available at the following websites: • http://test-ipv6.com • http://testmyipv6.com • https://www.arin.net/knowledge/v4-v6.html If you are attending the 2011 ILTA conference in August, be sure to attend the IPv6 sessions for more comprehensive discussions. ILTA