1.3 Identify the following address formats
In networking today, all devices use MAC addresses in order to find each other. In order for a frame to be delivered from one host to the next, the MAC address of the computer or router must be known before the frame can be delivered. IPv4, in the past, was the most widely used protocol that was relied upon for logical addressing. However, nowadays, IPv6 is the more commonly used protocol as to allow for a growing industry and the need for higher security.
- IPv6 – Even though we have access to 4 billion IPs, since Internet and computer users have skyrocketed, we’ve surprisingly run out of IPv4 addresses which have sparked the need for IPv6. Known as the next generation Internet protocol, IPv6 uses 128-bit binary addresses. Most widely used operating systems support IPv6 but not all users will need to switch to IPv6 immediately. IPv6 addresses are delivered in hexadecimal characters. The protocol is praised for its processing speed which is much faster when compared to that of IPv4. It also allows for a much larger address space, SLAAC, increased mobility, multicasting, and other important features.
- IPv4 – IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses. With IPv4, some addresses have been reserved for private networks and other special purposes such as multicast addresses. With this, the number of usable IPv4 addresses is greatly reduced which is what sparked the need for IPv6. We are most used to seeing IPv4 addresses as xxx.x.x.xxx
- MAC addressing – With MAC addressing, addresses can be locally administered and universally administered. Those that are administered universally are generally done so by a device’s manufacturer. The first 3 octets in the address identify the Organizationally Unique Identifier and the next 3 or 5 octets are assigned with no real equation in mind. MAC-48 space should be readily available until about 2100 and EUI-64 spaces should not run out at all.
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