When IPv4 was created, we knew that it would one day be exhausted. With the increase of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and with the internet expanding each day, the IPv4 public space became exhausted a bit faster than expected. Most RIRs have already exhausted their IPv4 blocks of addresses:
- APNIC: IPv4 exhausted in April 2011
- RIPE NCC: Exhausted in September 2012
- LACNIC: Exhausted in June 2014
- ARIN: Exhausted in July 2015
- AFRINIC: Expected to be exhausted in 2019
Therefore, a new IP addressing scheme was needed. This was IP version 6. There are approximately one undecillion (1036) IPv6 addresses compared to IPv4, which is approximately one billion (109) addresses. Since the internet is currently in the IoT stage, where smart devices such as phones, tablets, and even computers are all accessing the internet, eventually sensor-equipped, internet-ready...
