IPv6
IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, using 128-bit addresses written as groups of hexadecimal digits (like 2001:db8::1) instead of IPv4's 32-bit dotted-decimal format. Its address space is large enough -- roughly 340 undecillion addresses -- that every device can get its own globally routable public address without the address-sharing tricks like NAT or CGNAT that IPv4 scarcity forced. Adoption is uneven: many ISPs and home routers now assign IPv6 alongside IPv4 (dual-stack), but plenty of networks and devices still default to IPv4-only firewall rules, including ones never configured with IPv6 in mind, which is a common, overlooked gap in home-network security.
By AdminKit team, Netbase JSC · Updated