How do IPv4 and IPv6 differ?

How do IPv4 and IPv6 differ?

• A. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses; IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, providing vastly more addresses and improved routing.
• B. IPv4 uses 16-bit addresses.
• C. IPv4 addresses are represented in hexadecimal.
• D. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses; IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, providing vastly more addresses and improved routing.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that the difference lies in how long the addresses are and what that enables. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, which supports about 4.3 billion unique addresses. IPv6 switches to 128-bit addresses, providing an astronomically larger address space and enabling more scalable routing through hierarchical addressing and easier route aggregation. It also brings features like simpler headers and easier auto-configuration. For reference, IPv4 addresses are written in decimal dotted notation (for example, 192.0.2.1), while IPv6 addresses are written in hexadecimal groups separated by colons. The claim that IPv4 uses 16-bit addresses is incorrect, and the claim that IPv4 addresses are represented in hexadecimal is also incorrect.

The main idea is that the difference lies in how long the addresses are and what that enables. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, which supports about 4.3 billion unique addresses. IPv6 switches to 128-bit addresses, providing an astronomically larger address space and enabling more scalable routing through hierarchical addressing and easier route aggregation. It also brings features like simpler headers and easier auto-configuration. For reference, IPv4 addresses are written in decimal dotted notation (for example, 192.0.2.1), while IPv6 addresses are written in hexadecimal groups separated by colons. The claim that IPv4 uses 16-bit addresses is incorrect, and the claim that IPv4 addresses are represented in hexadecimal is also incorrect.