A few days ago we saw how Telefónica bet on IPv6. The alternative to IPv4 that we have been using up to now and that it arrives to put an end to the saturation that has led to the end of the available IPv4 addresses, which means the arrival of quite curious alternatives.
The truth is that the Spanish operator is the first to bet on IPv6 to bring this protocol to its user base, be they Movistar or O2. It is the first operator to deploy version 6 of the internet protocol for its entire mobile network. They currently have 600,000 accesses over IPv6 and the deployment is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2023. And this is what you can do to know if you are using IPv6 Or you are still in IPv4 if you are from Movistar or O2.
The advantages of being IVv6
But before moving forward, let’s clarify what IPv6 is all about. Each device that connects to the Internet does so through an IP address. They are a series of numbers and letters that works as an identity card or as a kind of license plate What is used to identify them?
Until now, IPv4, an acronym for Internet Protocol version 4, was used. The problem is that the addresses that are generated with this protocol have run out and so the solution was to launch a new IPv6 protocol or Internet Protocol version 6, which arrived in 2012. The goal is to put an end to the lack of IP addresses.
To make it, IPv6 has a space of 128 bits compared to 32 bits for IPv4.. This means that it is capable of hosting 340 sextillion addresses, or what is the same, a total of 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 different IP addresses compared to the 4,294,967,296 addresses it allows IPv4.
This is possible among other reasons because IPv6 addresses are much longer and more complex than IPv4 addresses.. Compared to the 255.255.255.255 structure of IPv4, those of the sixth version are of the style 2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7332. More numbers and characters to achieve more possible combinations.
In your case, if you are a Movistar or O2 customer, You can now check if you are accessing the content with IPv4 or IPv6. First of all you can do it by entering this website, test-ipv6.com or this other one from Google, ipv6test.
The test with the Google page
With all this said, if you are interested in joining the ranks of customers already using IPv6 you can join a beta program that Movistar is deploying by entering this website. As detailed on the website, “the beta consists of activating the IPv6 protocol in the ADSL/FTTH connection, allowing Internet communications to be established with destinations that use this protocol.”
The objective of this program, like that of any other beta, is to test any possible failure in normal use in the real market among a limited number of users to prevent it from spreading to a larger number before it is published.
Also, to test IPv6 the user You will not have to make any type of equipment or configuration change. Computers, tablets, mobiles, Smart TV’s… modern devices are prepared to use the IPv6 protocol without problems.
Via | ADSLZone