Movistar, one of the most important companies in Spain, just said that IPv6 will be used for its fiber and mobile customers. This new protocol is an update to IPv4, which is the one most Internet connections use right now.
As more computers and other electronic devices connect to the Internet, a new protocol was needed. IPv6 is newer than IPv4, which has been around since 1983 and can only handle 32-bit addresses. Instead, IPv6 can handle 128-bit combinations.
What advantages does IPv6 have over IPv4?
Although the benefits of IPv6 and why you should use it is something that we already addressed at the time, roughly, you should know that the new version of the protocol includes new security measures, such as end-to-end encryption of information and improvements in authentication.
The fact of having a much more complex and long IP address makes deciphering the data and carrying out an attack complicating things tremendously. To give you an idea, these are the IP addresses that handle the protocols:
- IPv4 address: 255.255.255.255
- IPv6 address: 2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:8390
Although the benefits of IPv6 and why you should use it is something that we already addressed at the time, roughly, you should know that the new version of the protocol includes new security measures, such as end-to-end encryption of information and improvements in authentication.
The fact of having a much more complex and long IP address makes deciphering the data and carrying out an attack complicating things tremendously. To give you an idea, these are the IP addresses that handle the protocols:
Also, check PTA Orders IPv6 Transition
How to know if your connection is IPv6?
For now, only Movistar customers who signed up for the public beta of the protocol that came out a few weeks ago will be able to enjoy faster and more secure connections, which are two of IPv6’s benefits.
But IPv6 will be used more and more by all customers, no matter which contract they have with the operator. The company says that all of its customers should be able to use the IPv6 protocol by the end of the first half of the year.
If you want to know if your fibre or mobile connection has access to IPv6, all you have to do is go to the test-ipv6.com website. There, you can test the use of IPv6 addressing through a series of parameters, such as an ISP (Internet service provider).
Movistar says that the beta involves turning on the IPv6 protocol in the ADSL/FTTH connection. This makes it possible to talk to places on the Internet that use this new connection protocol.
What if my VPN doesn’t support IPv6?
We have talked about the fact that some VPN services don’t support the IPv6 connection mode in the past. That was true until recently when the companies that offer these services started putting their batteries in place to guarantee support.
By using IPv6, we make sure that the industry will have enough IP addresses to keep giving them out and running smoothly for many years to come. Check out our special on the best deals from Spanish phone companies.
If you want to use a VPN with your connections and you already have IPv6, you might be interested in learning about the best VPNs you can hire, the ones with the fastest speeds and most servers.
If you can’t afford a VPN subscription for a whole year, you might want to find out which services offer free VPN connections instead.
