IPv6: the new Internet protocol

The current version of the Internet protocol (IP) is becoming obsolete because of its limited address space, lack of needed functionality and inadequate security features. The next generation of IP, called IPv6, has now been standardized and will carry TCP/IP networks and applications well into the next century. This article begins with an overview of the role of an internet protocol, looks at the motivation for developing a new version of the IP, and then examines some of its details.