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A computer somewhere in the world needs to communicate with another computer somewhere else in the world. For this communication, we need a global addressing scheme, called logical. addressing
Excerpt:
Introduction to Network Layer Logical Addressing
Communication at the network layer is host-to-host (computer-to-computer).
A computer somewhere in the world needs to communicate with another computer somewhere else in the world.
For this communication, we need a global addressing scheme, called “logical addressing”
Today, IP addresses are used to provide logical addresses in the network layer of the TCP/IP protocol suite.
IPV4
The Internet addresses are 32 bits in length; this gives us a maximum of 232 addresses.
These addresses are referred to as IPv4 (IP version 4) addresses or simply IP addresses.
The need for more addresses, in addition to other concerns about the IP layer, motivated a new design of the IP layer called the new generation of IP or IPv6 (IP version 6).
IP. PROTOCOL AND NETWORK APPLICATIONS
In this version, the Internet addresses are 128 bits in length; this gives us a maximum of 2128 addresses.
128-bit addresses give much greater flexibility in address allocation. These addresses are referred to as IPv6 (IP version 6) addresses.
In this chapter, we first discuss IPv4 addresses, which are currently being used in the Internet. We then discuss the IPv6 addresses, which may become dominant in the future.