{"id":116,"date":"2010-03-17T11:41:05","date_gmt":"2010-03-17T10:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/172.22.49.24\/?p=116"},"modified":"2010-03-17T11:41:05","modified_gmt":"2010-03-17T10:41:05","slug":"ipv6-a-la-rescousse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrinsec.com\/en\/ipv6-a-la-rescousse\/","title":{"rendered":"IPv6 to the rescue!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Intrinsec recently implemented a functional IPv6 infrastructure; to further this goal, I am working on IPv6 security and its integration into our audit and penetration testing services. This first article focuses on presenting the main differences between IPv4 and IPv6.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The number of IPv4 addresses still available was estimated at fewer than 10% at the end of January, according to the NRO (Number Resource Organization). This address shortage should accelerate the adoption of the new generation of the internet protocol, which offers several improvements: a large address space, required IPsec support, and improved quality of service management.<\/p>\n

IPv6 should thus meet the strong demand from emerging countries, particularly in Asia where the internet market has enormous potential, boosted by mobile telephony and 3G. Indeed, the number of 3G subscriptions in Asia-Pacific is expected to reach 561% of global subscriptions in 2013, according to [source missing].\u00a0RNCOS<\/a>, which would represent an average annual growth rate of 13% (CAGR*).<\/p>\n

The table below summarizes the main differences between IPv4 and IPv6:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

IPv4<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

IPv6<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Length of an address:\u00a032-bit<\/strong>\u00a0(4 bytes). Total 4.3 \u00d7 109\u00a0<\/sup>addresses<\/td>\n128 bits<\/strong>\u00a0(16 bytes) Total of 3.4 \u00d7 1038\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>addresses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Support for\u2019IPsec<\/strong>\u00a0optional<\/td>\n\n

Support for\u2019IPsec<\/strong>\u00a0required<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Using addresses of\u00a0broadcast<\/strong>to communicate with all the nodes of a subnetwork<\/td>\nNo more broadcasts. Using an address\u00a0multicast<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018'all stations' having a defined range:
\n(FF02::1 for local scope\/ FF05::1
\n(for local site coverage\u2026)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
<\/div>\n

Fragmentation<\/strong>\u00a0which can be carried out by the station\u00a0source<\/strong>\u00a0of the package or by the\u00a0router<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

Fragmentation<\/strong>\u00a0carried out by the\u00a0source<\/strong>of the package only. Performance improvement of the
\nrouters.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Manual address configuration or via a DHCP server<\/td>\n\n
<\/div>\n

Manual configuration, DHCPv6 or autoconfiguration possible (will be the subject of an upcoming article!)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

ARP<\/strong>\u00a0broadcasts for resolving IP addresses to lower layer physical addresses<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

NDP<\/strong>\u00a0(Neighbor Discovery Protocol): Multicasts for resolving IP addresses to physical addresses<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

IP address\u00a0public<\/strong>\u00a0\/ IP addressprivate<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

Each address has a\u00a0scope<\/strong>\u00a0defined: local, site-local, global\u2026 (an interface can have multiple addresses)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

* CAGR = (Final value\/Initial value)^1\/number of years \u2013 1<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read also:<\/p>\n