IPv6

[Bluesky]

Does the average user like me need to know what IPv6 is?

[Hans]

Not yet. That is still several years away.

[Bluesky]

Can you explain what it is in lay mans terms?

[Hans]

Sure. Every device on the internet requires an address to be able to communicate with another device. Those addresses are called IP addresses and consist of 4 numbers between 0 and 255 separated by dots under IP4. That makes it exactly 32 bits long.
Example : 192.168.1.100 = 32 bits.
The total number of available combinations is about 4 billion. (2 to the 32 power to be correct)

Due to the growth of the internet we are running out of addresses. That is where IP6 comes in as it consists of an address that is 128 bits long, for a total combination of 2 to the 128 power.
Example : 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
This gives us 340 Undecillion combinations, meaning we will never grow out of addresses again.

However, in order to switch to IP6 format every device on the internet requires to be able to work with and understand the new format. This is a huge undertaking and will take many years to be completed. We are currently in the change over phase, where most new devices are able to work with both address systems.

That's the basics of it.

[Bluesky]

Thank you. That was helpful.