Windows 7 / Networking

Comparing IPv6 with IPv4

Table-4 compares and contrasts the IPv4 and IPv6 addressing schemes.

Table-4 IPv4 vs. IPv6 Addressing

FeatureIPv4IPv6
Number of bits (bytes)32 (4)128 (16)
Expressed formDotted-decimalColon-hexadecimal
Variable-length subnetsYesNo
Public addressesYesYes (global addresses)
Private addressesYes (RFC 1918 addresses)Yes (unique local addresses)
Autoconfigured addresses for the local linkYes (APIPA)Yes (link-local addresses)
Support for address classesYes, but deprecated by CIDRNo
Broadcast addressesYesMulticast used instead
Subnet maskRequiredImplicit 64-bit address prefix length for addresses assigned to interfaces

Note For detailed specifications concerning IPv6 addressing, see RFC 4291 at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4291.txt. There are also other differences between IPv4 and IPv6, such as how the headers are structured for IPv4 versus IPv6 packets. For more information, see the white paper, "Introduction to IP Version 6," at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=CBC0B8A3-B6A4-4952-BB E6-D976624C257C&displaylang=en.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Deploying IPv6
  2. Understanding IPv6
  3. Understanding IPv6 Terminology
  4. Understanding IPv6 Addressing
  5. Understanding IPv6 Prefixes
  6. Understanding IPv6 Address Types
  7. Understanding Unicast Addresses
  8. Identifying IPv6 Address Types
  9. Understanding Interface Identifiers
  10. Comparing IPv6 with IPv4
  11. Understanding IPv6 Routing
  12. How IPv6 Routing Works
  13. IPv6 Route Determination Process
  14. IPv6 Routing Table Structure
  15. Understanding ICMPv6 Messages
  16. Understanding Neighbor Discovery
  17. Understanding Address Autoconfiguration
  18. Understanding Name Resolution
  19. Understanding Name Queries
  20. Understanding Name Registration
  21. PTR Records and IPv6
  22. IPv6 Enhancements in Windows 7
  23. Summary of IPv6 Enhancements in Windows 7
  24. Configuring and Troubleshooting IPv6 in Windows 7
  25. Configuring IPv6 in Windows 7 Using the User Interface
  26. Configuring IPv6 in Windows 7 Using Netsh
  27. Other IPv6 Configuration Tasks
  28. Enabling or Disabling IPv6
  29. Disabling Random Interface IDs
  30. Resetting IPv6 Configuration
  31. Displaying Teredo Client Status
  32. Troubleshooting IPv6 Connectivity
  33. Planning for IPv6 Migration
  34. Blocking Teredo
  35. Understanding ISATAP
  36. Migrating an Intranet to IPv6
  37. Step 1: Upgrading Your Applications and Services
  38. Step 2: Preparing Your DNS Infrastructure
  39. Step 3: Upgrading Your Hosts
  40. Step 4: Migrating from IPv4-only to ISATAP
  41. Step 5: Upgrading Your Routing Infrastructure
  42. Step 6: Upgrading Your DHCP Infrastructure
  43. Step 7: Migrating from ISATAP to Native IPv6
  44. The Advantages of IPv6
  45. Address Resolution in IPv6