Changes

Most Internet-connected computers communicate using Internet Protocol version 4, usually abbreviated IPv4. IPv4 assigns an address to each computer. These addresses are 32 bits long, and can be written as a period-separated list of four numbers from zero to 255. One example would be 192.168.1.1, an address commonly given to home networking equipment. The 32-bit address space of IPv4 allows for about four billion addresses. Given that there are over six billion people on the planet, it's clear that these addresses will eventually run out. It turns out that due to the way these addresses are allocated in blocks, we actually already have run out.

Enter IP version 6, or IPv6. IPv6 uses 128 bits for each address, but is not yet very widely used. Virginia Tech, being the cutting edge institution it is, already supports IPv6 campus-wide. While this does not directly affect your computing experience, connecting your computer to a native IPv6 networks has a few implications you should be aware of.