AP CSP - U2 - L7 - Internet Packets and IP Addressing

IP: HOW IT WORKS

The Internet Protocol (IP) describes the use of IP addresses to identify Internet-connected devices. IP addresses have a hierarchy that makes it easier to route data around the Internet.
Many addressing schemes are hierarchical. Consider a US phone number:

IP ADDRESSING

IPv4 addresses are running out due to the number of devices connected to the internet. What solution does IPv6 provide, and how does it differ from IPv4?

The solution to the depletion of IPv4 addresses is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6). The internet has been running out of IPv4 addresses since the 1990s due to the massive growth of connected devices.

IPv6 differs from IPv4 in two main ways:

Address Space: IPv4 uses a 32-bit address system, which allows for about 4.3 billion unique addresses. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address system, providing a vastly larger number of possible addresses to accommodate the growing number of internet-connected devices.
Format: IPv4 addresses are written as four decimal numbers separated by periods (e.g., 1.160.10.240). IPv6 addresses are written in hexadecimal and separated by colons (e.g., 3ffe:1900:4545:3:200:f8ff:fe21:67cf)

There are two versions of the Internet Protocol in use today:

IPv4, the first version ever used on the Internet
IPv6, a backwards-compatible successor

The parts of your IP address

An IP address has two parts: the network ID, comprising the first three numbers of the address, and a host ID, the fourth number in the address. So on your home network — 192.168.1.1, for example – 192.168.1 is the network ID, and the final number is the host ID.

The Network ID indicates which network the device is on. The Host ID refers to the specific device on that network. (Usually your router is .1, and each subsequent device gets assigned .2, .3, and so on.)

If the last two octets were different, then the IP address would point at a different computer on the network.

It’s easy to recognize the difference if you count the numbers.

IPv4 addresses contain a series of four numbers, ranging from 0 (except the first one) to 255, each separated from the next by a period — such as 5.62.42.77.

The Difference Between IPv4 and IPv6 Addresses

An IP address is binary numbers but can be stored as text for human readers. For example, a 32-bit numeric address (IPv4) is written in decimal as four numbers separated by periods

Each number can be zero to 255.
For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address.

IPv6 addresses are 128-bit IP address written in hexadecimal and separated by colons.

An example IPv6 address 3ffe:1900:4545:3:200:f8ff:fe21:67cf

Have we run out of IPv4 addresses?

IPv4 has a theoretical limit of 4.3 billion addresses, which was more than enough in 1980. But as the internet grew and went global, we quickly ran out of addresses, especially in today’s era of smartphones and IoT devices.
The internet has been running out of IPv4 addresses since the 1990s. While clever engineers have found ways around the problem, it wasn’t long before a more permanent fix was needed. Developed to solve these capacity issues for good, IPv6 was needed when IPv4 could no longer support the load.
At present, IPv4 coexists on the internet with its newer version, though eventually, everything will use IPv6. Replacing old IPv4 equipment would be prohibitively expensive and disruptive, and so IPv6 is being slowly rolled out as older IPv4 hardware is retired.

How does this differ to a MAC Address?

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