IP Today

IPv4 is the current version of the Internet Protocol, the backbone of The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/ IP networking. The Internet and other TCP/IP networks are providing today support for most distributed applications, such as file transfer, electronic mail, remote access using TELNET, and the constantly growing World Wide Web.

The Internet is increasingly becoming a multimedia, application-rich environment, led by the huge popularity of the World Wide Web. Networks have branched out from simple e-mail and file transfer applications to complex client/server environments with multimedia enhancements. IPv4 is unable to adjust to the growing changes, suffering from limited address space, lack of needed functionality, quality of service and inadequate security features. The next generation of IP, called IPv6, has been standardized and will replace IPv4 in the near future. The new protocol will enable TCP/IP networks and applications to be compatible with the changing nature of the Internet.