IP stands for internet protocol. So, IPv4 means internet protocol version 4 and IPv6 means internet protocol version 6.
Difference Between IPv4 and IPv6 | IPv4 vs IPv6
| IPv4 is a 32-bit decimal address. | IPv6 is a 128-bit hexadecimal address. |
| It can produce 4.29×109 (4,294,967,296) unique addresses. | It can produce unique addresses. |
| It supports VLSM (Virtual Length Subnet Mask) | It does not support VLSM ((Virtual Length Subnet Mask) |
| It consists of 4 octets. | It consists of 16 octets. |
| In IPv4 checksum field is available. | In IPv6 checksum field is not available |
| It has a header of 20-60 bytes. | It has a header of 40 bytes (fixed) |
| It does not provide encryption and authentication. | It provides encryption and authentication. |
| It has broadcast Message Transmission Scheme | It multicast and anycast message transmission scheme |
| In IPv4 fragmentation is done by Sender and forwarding routers | In IPv6 fragmentation performed by the sender only. |
| It supports manual and DHCP configuration. | It supports manual, DHCP, auto-configuration, and renumbering. |
IPv4
- IPv4 is a 32-bit address
- IPv6 is a 128-bit hexadecimal address