IT278_Norris_Unit_7_Lab.docx Unit 7 Lab Purdue University Global Unit 7 Lab In Network

IT278_Norris_Unit_7_Lab.docx  Unit 7 Lab  Purdue University Global  Unit 7 Lab  In Network Administration, IPv4 and IPv6 is very commonly heard but what exactly do they mean? IP (Internet Protocol) addresses are identifiers for interfaces that connect to a network. Any connection to a network requires an IP address, and there are currently two IP addresses that are used which are IPv4 and IPv6. While IPv4 is widely used, the slow transition to IPv6 is currently in the works.   IPv4 is a 32-bit connection, broken down into 4 octets of 8-bits. While the IPv4 is effective, it is limited with the growth of the internet and wasnt created to support what the growth is projected to be in the future. The 32-bit connection can support 232 unique connections and IPv4 can support 4.3 billion devices. While 4.3 billion seems like a large number, with the market on cell phones, tablets and laptops continuing to grow, eventually IPv4 will no longer be able to support the flood of connections (BlueCat, n.d.).  IPv6 is the latest version of IP and it is a 128-bit connection. This larger connection means IPv6 can support 340 trillion devices. Not only can it support more connections, but it has also proven to have better security, better performance and handles packets better than the IPv4. Within Windows Server, IPv6 is preferred but if it is unavailable, Windows will use IPv4 instead. The preference for IPv6 in Windows Server is based on a few factors: more efficient routing, easier configuration, and better protection