IPv4

IPv4 vs IPv6

Compare the two IP versions across address size, notation, and how IPv6 changes the need for NAT.

What is an IP Address?

An IP address is a numeric label assigned to every device on a network so it can be uniquely identified and reached — IPv4 uses a 32-bit address written as fou…

IPv4 vs IPv6: What Are the Differences?

IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses giving about 4.3 billion possible addresses, while IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses giving a practically unlimited pool, and IPv6 also si…

CIDR Notation Explained

CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) notation expresses an IP address’s network prefix length as a suffix like /24, meaning the first 24 bits identify the net…

Private vs Public IP Addresses

A public IP address is globally unique and directly routable across the internet, while a private IP address comes from reserved ranges (like 10.0.0.0/8 or 192…

What is a Loopback Address?

A loopback address is a reserved IP address that a device uses to send traffic to itself, letting software test its own network stack without touching any phys…

What is IP Fragmentation in Networking?

IP fragmentation is the process of splitting an IP packet larger than a link’s MTU into multiple smaller fragments, each carrying enough header information for…

Classful vs Classless Addressing: What is the Difference?

Classful addressing divides the IPv4 space into fixed-size classes (A, B, C) with rigid boundaries determined by the leading bits of the address, while classle…

What is NAT and Port Translation (NAPT)?

NAT (Network Address Translation) is the process a router or gateway uses to rewrite the source or destination IP address of a packet as it crosses network bou…

What Are IPv6 Transition Mechanisms?

IPv6 transition mechanisms are the set of techniques — dual stack, tunneling, and translation — that let IPv4 and IPv6 networks interoperate during the long mi…

What is 6to4 Tunneling?

6to4 tunneling is an automatic IPv6-over-IPv4 tunneling mechanism that lets IPv6 hosts communicate across an IPv4-only network by encapsulating IPv6 packets in…

What is Dual Stack Networking?

Dual stack networking means a device, router, or network runs both the IPv4 and IPv6 protocol stacks at the same time, each with its own independent address, s…