Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)

Addressing, Security and Mobility in IPv6 and IPv4

Shadi Ahmed
Computer Science. University of Bedfordshire
UoB
Sumail, Oman
[email protected]

Abstract
II. IPV6 VERSUS IPV4
In the previous few decades we used IPv4 for communication to
send and receive data, but there are some problems that appear A. Internet Protocols
with this version in the last few years. Internet protocols are used to transmit packets of data from
the source to the destination. The first IP was IPv4. There were
In this document there are discussions of the newer version of IP
IPs before IPv4 which are IPv0, IPv1, IPv2 and IPv3, but all of
address (IPv6) and the new feature that provided by it to solve
those IPs were experimental and the first working version is
the previous version drawbacks in fields of addressing, security
and mobility. version 4. Second version is IPv6 and the same as IPv4 there
was IPv5 before IPv6 but version 5 was experimental also and
Keywords version 6 in working version.
IPv4, IPv6, addressing, unicast, milticast, anycast, tunnelling B. What is IPv4
transition, 6to4, 6over4, NAT, SIIT, Dual Stack, BIS, IPsec,
Routing Header, Hop-by-Hop, IPv4 Mobility. IPv6 Mobility. Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is the previous generation
of internet protocols and it is in the network layer. IPv4 is still
used widely till now, but there are many problems that occur
I. INTRODUCTION
that must be solved by replacing it with new technology or
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the newest internet combining it with another one.
protocol that is enhanced to solve some problems that appear in
the previous few decades. IPv4 is 4 bytes (32-bits) protocol IPv4 is 4-byte (32-bit) addressing protocol which allows
which allows over 4 billion addresses to be used. This number over 4 billion of address combinations. When they develop
of addresses will be small according to the fast increase in the IPv4, it seems that it is the best protocol that solves connection
networks and also the size of networks. For that IPv6 used to issues. Actually IPv4 earn this reputation for few decades until
solve this main problem, because it is 16 bytes (128-bits) the mobile technology appears an open the area to increase the
protocol which allows 340 undecillionth addresses to be used devices that connected to the networks. The last 10 years
and this number is big enough to solve this problem, may be to shows that there are so billions of devices that connected to
the next few decades. IPv6 improves the multicast by networks around the world and this number of devices is
increasing the number of addresses for multicast; also it increasing day by day. For that IPv4 has an addressing
supports anycast by taking control of sending the data to any exhaustion. This addressing exhaustion may cause address
device in the network. IPv6 increases the size of packets that block, multidevices will cause heavy traffic and the main issue
can be sent over the network. It solves the issue of the traffic is IPv4 has the majority in all networks. All of these problems
too, by tacking control of the packets priority so if there is a will case explosion in IPv4. [14], [9]
heavy traffic in the network the lowest packet priority will be
dropped. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) is required in IPv6 C. IP version 6
and it is mandatory for authentication and data integrity to IPv6 is 16-byte (128-bits) which allow over 340 undecillion
ensure that the data at the same size without any changes. combinations of IP addresses. This number of combination will
solve the exhaustion of addresses in IPv4. IPv6 also provides
IPv6 improves handling the data by using a simple header
flexible addressing, security, mobility, efficiency and
and also it improves the routing process by using hierarchal
simplicity in providing protocol header.
structure for the networks. IPv6 can provide an IP for mobile
devices to support mobile computing. So IPv6 is an internet IPv6 is made to solve all the issues that appear in the
protocol that designed to improve security, scalability, data previous version such as mobile IP, so it simplified mobility
integrity, multicast, anycast and mobile computing. [1], [17], problem that appear in triangular routing. But the main
[21] problem that faces IPv6 is deployment problem. IPv4 is taking
the majority of work and most of the users are using it. Also
IPv4 cannot communicate with IPv6 without upgrading the o Interface Local: this scope is used for
network devices to accept IPv6 and work with it. Also they are transmission of multicast within a single
using IPv4 till now to avoid the cost of upgrading to IPv6. For node.
those issues we face problems in migrating from IPv4 to IPv6,
so we must manage availability and connectivity between IPv4 o Site Local: this scope is used in a single
and IPv6. [14], [9], [21] place.
 Anycast: this type is used to assign multiple
D. IPv4 addressing interfaces to multicast the data. It is used to
IPv4 controls the packets to make sure that the device transmit the data from a single node to the nearest
knows which packet can be sent to which destination. It multiple nodes. [14], [18]
consists of 32-bits divided into 4 sections each section is an
octet section and it has 8-bits. F. Transition from IPv4 to IPv6
For example (00000000.00000000.00000000.00000000) There are some problems that faces the transition from IPv4
There are three classes of IPv4:- to IPv6 which are the widely use of IPv4, the mechanism of
transition and the cost of transition too, so we need to have
 Class A: this class assigns the first section for the Internet Communication Protocols (ICPs) to provide the
network for example existing services for IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time. Also we
(11111111.00000000.00000000.00000000) need to study address mapping for IPv4 and IPv6. Actually
there are many transition techniques that can be used such as
 Class B: this class assigns the first 2 sections for the techniques that are mentioned below: [14], [21]
the network for example (1111.1111.0000.0000)
 6to4 technique
 Class C: this class assigns the first 3 sections for
network for example (1111.1111.1111.0000) In this technique IPv6 packets are transmitted inside IPv4
packets. It is used as tunneling mechanism and to communicate
This classes has problem in the number of addresses that the IPv6 networks over IPv4 network. The IPv4 packet is used
generated cannot be enough for the users as we mentioned to define the source and destination in its header. This
before. [14], [19] technique has stable and secure communication in tunneling
between two points only and provides easy deployment for
E. IPv6 addressing IPv6. [6], [12]
IPv6 has different addressing technique. It has 128-bits
divided into 8 sections each section is a hexadecimal and it has  6over4 technique
16-bits. The 128-bits divided into two portions first one is 64- In this technique two IPv6 hosts can communicate over
bits and it's assigned to the network and the second one is 64- IPv4 domain, also IPv6 packets are transmitted inside IPv4
bits also and assigned to identify the interfaces. packets with tunneling mechanism same as 6to4. 6over4
There are three types of IPv6 which are:- creates virtual link by using IPv4 multicast. The difference
between this technique and 6to4 technique that 6over 4 is used
 Unicast: this type is used to identifies single to make connections for multiple IPv6 domains, but the
interface and it has three different scopes connection is made only with IPv4 networks. [7], [12]
o Link Local: this scope is used to  Network Address Translation (NAT)
communicate over a single link and
packets cannot be forwarded between There are two types of NAT, one is IPv4 NAT and this
source and destination. translates IPv4 address into IPv4 address and the other one
translates IPv6 address into IPv4 address. Last type of NAT
o Unique Local: this scope is approachable allows the IPv6 host to communicate from the inner network to
over specific link and it is not routable IPv6 host at the outer network. This technique is use to
over the internet. communicate IPv6 host to IPv4 host, but it needs to have
Application Layer Gateway (ALG) that includes IP addresses.
o Global: this scope is approachable over
[8], [12]
the internet.
 Stateless IP/ICMP Translation Algorithm (SIIT)
 Multicast: this type is used to identifies set of
interfaces ant it has five different scopes This algorithm is used to translate IPv4 address into IPv6
address. After that the packets will transmit into IP/ICMP
o Link Local: this scope is used as in link
translator to translate headers of packets from IPv4 to IPv6 and
local scope in unicast type.
vice versa, also it will translate the addresses in these headers
o Organization: this scope is used inside between IPv4 and IPv6. [13]
the organizations and acts the same like
 Dual Stack Hosts
unique local in unicast type.
There are many techniques we can use in Dual Stack Hosts
o Global: this scope is used as in global
such as Bump in the Stack (BIS) technique. In this technique
scope in unicast type.
each hast must have three sections. The first one is the Hop-by-Hop Extension Header is used to communicate
translator; this section will translate IPv4 address into IPv6 only one router changeable message for each packet the routers
address and IPv6 address into IPv4 address by using SIIT that involve in the transmission path. For those routers can fasts
technique. The second section is Extension Name Resolver, in packets transmission. This changeable massage has values to
this section IPv4 application transmit an inquiry to the server to define the router type. Each value has description as shown in
fix a registry for the destination host it will fix the registry and table as follows. [3], [16]
duplicate it and send the original one after fixing back to IPv4
application, so if the duplicated registry is the available one, it
will request the address mapper send a registry to the assigned Value Description
IPv4 address that related to IPv6 address and retuned back to 0 IP packet contains a Multicast Listener Discovery
the application. The third section is Address mapper, this message
section is consists of a table with pairs of IPv4 addresses and 1 IP packet contains an RSVP message.
IPv6 addresses, each IPv4 address with its related IPv6 2 IP packet contains an Active Networks message
address. This section used to assign the correct Ipv4 address 3-35 IP packet contains an Aggregated Reservation
according to the related IPv6 address. [20], [12] Nesting Level
36-65,535 Reserved for future use
All the technique that mentioned before should have dual Table 1: values to define a router type [16]
stack by updating the router to support it except NAT
technique. [12]
V. IP MOBILITY
III. IPV6 AND SECURITY Before discussing IP mobility there are some terms that
must be defined to understand this topic.
IPv6 is more secure than the previous protocol version
(IPv4), because the IPsec is mandatory in IPv4 and not optional Mobile Node (MN): is a user device or a router that can be
like IPv4. IPv6 has an addressing structure that reduces the connected to different network in different places. It can be
risks, but IPv6 has some issues in security. IPsec is difficult to connected to any network using its own static IP address.
deploy and manage, also some of IPv6 features has its own Home Agent (HA): it is the router that is used in the home
security that it is difficult to manage also and still not network for the mobile node and it is used to forwarding the
understandable. data to mobile node when it is on a different network and this
There are many threats that appears during the transition data is forwarding by tunneling them. Also it is used to get
from IPv6 to IPv4 such as Dual Stack. In Dual Stack the attack mobile node location.
can be increase especially when IPsec is not working. Also Foreign Agent (FA): it is a router in the network that the
there are some threats that can appear in 6to 4 tunneling, mobile node connected to it but not the home network.
because of that the IPv6 address is encapsulated with IPv4
address and this can cause an attack according to IPv4 security Care of Address (CoA): there are two types of CoA; the
management. Also IPv4 has some issues with security in some first one is Foreign Agent-CoA which is the IP address of the
areas such as application layer and packet overflow. IPsec has a Foreign Agent. The second type is Co-Located-CoA which is
header issue, because it uses an extension header and this will the local IP address of the mobile node and it is attached to its
cause threats to some sources. [5] own network.
Correspondent Node (CN): is any node that mobile node
IV. IPV6 AND QUALITY OF SERVICE (QOS) can be connected to it and it can be fixed or mobile.
IPv6 supports QoS, because QoS is built in IPv6. QoS used Mobility Agent: can be Home Agent or Foreign Agent.
to manage the priorities of packets to improve low latency.
QoS is attached in IPv6 header and it has two extension Mobility Binding: is the attached CoA with the IP home
headers, one of them is Routing Extension Header the other address. [10], [15]
one is Hop-by-Hop Extension Header. [4], [16]
A. IPv4 mobility
Routing Extension Header is used to make a sequence of IP
addresses for the nodes that involves in transmission path. Each IPv4 mobility is based on some protocols such as Agent
node should have a knowledge that it is involved in this discovery which is a protocol used to send message by Home
transmission and also the nodes that involved with it. Also each Agent or Foreign Agent to discover the location of the mobile
node must know the rout that it can be taken. Also this node. Second protocol is Registration which is a protocol that
extension requires the destination to know the preferred route is used to register CoA of mobile node with the home agent
to use. This extension also reduces the threats of attacking with and that is happened when the mobile node is away from home
transmitting the first packet with routing header and after the network. Third protocol is silently discard which is a protocol
packet received at the destination the other packets sent without that is used to discard data without sending error feedback to
a header (they are sent in response to the first packet) and the the sender. [10], [15]
received packet automatically generates headers for the other The mobility system under IPv4 works with some specific
packets. [3], [16] steps. First of all is that the Home Agent and Foreign Agent
send a massage to determine the location of mobile node either
it is connected to its home network or other foreign network, mobility. In the future IPv6 will be the technology to
also mobile node can request that message. If mobile node is communicate without IPv4
connected to the home agent, it can work without using
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