Chapter
4
4 – IPv6
Next generation IP addressing
his section explains how the access to the GarrettCom Magnum MNS-6K can setup using
IPv6 instead of IPv4 addressing described earlier. IPv6 provides a much larger address space
and is required today by many.
T
Assumptions
j
It is assumed here that the user is familiar with IP addressing
schemes and has other supplemental material on IPv6,
configuration, routing, setup and other items related to IPv6. This
user guide does not dwell or probe those details.
Introduction to IPv6
IPv6 is short for "Internet Protocol Version 6". IPv6 is the "next generation" protocol or
IPng and was recommended to the IETF to replace the current version Internet Protocol,
IP Version 4 ("IPv4"). IPv6 was recommended by the IPv6 (or IPng) Area Directors of
the Internet Engineering Task Force at the Toronto IETF meeting on July 25, 1994 in
RFC 1752, The Recommendation for the IP Next Generation Protocol. The
recommendation was approved by the Internet Engineering Steering Group and made a
proposed standard on November 17, 1994. The core set of IPv6 protocols were made an
IETF draft standard on August 10, 1998.
IPv6 is a new version of IP which is designed to be an evolutionary step from IPv4. It is a
natural increment to IPv4. It can be installed as a normal software upgrade in internet
devices and is interoperable with the current IPv4. Its deployment strategy is designed to
not have any dependencies. IPv6 is designed to run well on high performance networks
(e.g. Gigabit Ethernet, OC-12, ATM, etc.) and at the same time still be efficient for low
bandwidth networks (e.g. wireless). In addition, it provides a platform for new internet
functionality that will be required in the near future.
IPv6 includes a transition mechanism which is designed to allow users to adopt and
deploy IPv6 in a highly diffuse fashion and to provide direct interoperability between IPv4
59