Posted: October 15th, 2022

Why is the Switch from IPv4 to IPv6 so Difficult ?

Why is the Switch from IPv4 to IPv6 so Difficult ?
Explain why the switch from IPv4 to IPv6 is so difficult? Describe how key principles are slowing migration to the new standard. Address at least 4 issues. Define IP in general, discuss IPv4 and IPv6 and their migration issues. Book is attached or can be found for free at this site https://open.lib.umn.edu

Why is the Switch from IPv4 to IPv6 so Difficult ?
Technology upgrade represents the continued growth of the technology world, which is accompanied by various transitions, including the upgrade of IPV4 to IPV6. IPV4 has been used for a long time now since the year 1981, becoming hard to change and configure. Transitioning to IPV6 has been difficult because IPV6 is very expensive; the internet consists of millions of routers; therefore, upgrading requires quite a long time as well as a huge budget.
Expenses come in during configuration and training time, especially considering the fact new equipment needs to be purchased. The problem is that no particular person or company wants to take the risk. Adoption of 1PV6 comes with a considerable cost; therefore, there are no benefits of being an early user or adopter. The IPV6 is expensive to maintain, creating fear of failure and inconsistency for too many adopters.
IPV6 is not compatible with IPV4; therefore, being a challenge. Lack of backward compatibility where the new standards have no solution towards communication with the IPV4 systems. The addresses available in IPV4 are not compatible, or instead, IPV6 cannot accommodate the growing number of devices in the world web, therefore, stressing IPV4 standards. The main difference between IPV4 and IPV6 is the number of bytes where IPV4 uses 32 bits while IPV6 uses 128 bit, thus accommodating longer addresses compared to the current V6.
Principles leading to slow migration to IPV6 is a high cost involved in the movement, depletion of address spaces where the spaces needed are more significant to accommodate the longer addresses, more internet services require as well as the growth of the cloud. The high demand for a network is quite a big challenge where, in case of migration, those using IPV4 will be affected in servicing the new application.
An IP address is a number representing information where digital devices require an IP address to communicate over the internet. Network services have a unique IP address that is used within the network, which is dominant in holding information. Companies secure their IP addresses to protect data. IP address connects billions of devices to the internet to allow communication to take place. The universal and most used IP address is the IPV4, but due to technology advancement and demand, IPV6 is introduced to enhance network capacity to offer multiple services to many users.
IPV6 has got several issues identified which are delaying the migration. Routing protocols have not been tested thoroughly;, therefore, recovering from failures would be challenging, thus being a big scare. Users may be affected where a small number of users will be migrated for testing before putting the nation into a significant risk. IPV6 has security issues where VPN leakages are experienced with the use of IPV6.
VPN leakages bring about loss of data through hacking, therefore, challenging for users using IPV6 to log into the VPN.The IPV6 has an issue with the internet content filter working. The filtering systems are not able to handle the new IPV6; therefore, restricting and blocking various websites is a challenge.
IPV4 is out of IP addresses and has issues during the migration, where due to lack of backward compatibility with the new IPV6, the IPV4 needs a “dual-stack” for hosting protocols and operations. The need to track down unused addresses is vital in the IPV4 during the transition. Identifying and reclaiming the unused addresses in smaller blocks is essential to create space, but tracking down is quite expensive, especially on cost and time basis. IPV4 transition has been a slow process; therefore, the issue should be included in the national policies.