IP (Internet Protocol) addresses are one of the basic components that make data communication possible on the Internet. A device must have an IP address in order to connect to the Internet and communicate with other devices. IP addresses represent the identity of a device in the digital environment and ensure that data packets reach their destination correctly. In this respect, IP addresses play a critical role that forms the basic infrastructure of the Internet and provides order between networks. There are two main types of IP addresses in use today: IPv4 and IPv6.
25 IPv4 offers approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses with a 32-bit long address structure. However, the rapid increase in internet users and devices has caused the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses. IPv6, developed to solve this problem, offers an almost unlimited address capacity with its 128-bit long address structure. In addition, IPv6 provides advantages such as security, speed and automatic address configuration. Although IPv4 is still widely used, the transition to IPv6 is ongoing. This transition is a critical step to ensure that the Internet will run more smoothly and reliably in the future.