As we know that both IPv4 and IPv6 are the two major internet protocols which are used as the principal communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internet working, and essentially establishes the Internet.
So on the basis of functionality and features we can distinguish between both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols.
Following are the important differences between IPv4 and IPv6 Protocols.
| Sr. No. | Key | IPv4 Protocol | IPv6 Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Address Configuration | IPv4 protocol has address length of 32-bit represented in decimal format and it supports Manual and DHCP configuration. | On other hand IPv6 has 128-bit address length represented in hexadecimal format and supports Auto-configuration and renumbering configuration. |
| 2 | Address Space | In case of IPv4 4.29 x 10^9 addresses could get generated. | On other hand in case of IPv6 3.4 x 10^38 which is much greater than as compared to that of in IPv4 case. |
| 3 | Secure | IPv4 is being used as less secure protocol as its security section is dependent on application i.e., it is proportional to the security that is provided or implemented at application level. | IPv6 has its inbuilt security feature named as IPSEC (Internet Protocol Security) which provide additional security feature along with the security provided or implemented at application level. |
| 4 | Fragmentation | In case of IPv4 fragmentation is performed by both Sender and Forwarding routers. | On other hand in case of IPv6 the fragmentation is performed only by sender routers. |
| 5 | Authentication | In IPv4 Encryption and Authentication facility not provided. | On other hand in IPv6 both Encryption and Authentication facility are available. |
| 6 | Header Size | In IPv4 the request header is not fixed and may be between of 20-60 bytes size. | On other hand in IPv6 the request header is of fixed 40 bytes size and could not be get varied. |