This article describes IP version 4 (IPv4), which is the most widely used version today. The Internet Engineering Task Force has proposed a new version known as IPv6, or IP Next Generation (IPng). Under the new specifications, the most relevant limitations of IPv4 are addressed:
      Improved Address Space Whereas IPv4 supports 32-bit addresses, IPv6 will support 128-bit address space, thus allowing for 2128 possible addresses—more than a trillion trillion trillion. In recent years, the lack of control in how address spaces were assigned has led to a general scarcity of addresses. As a result, it is increasingly more difficult to obtain even a class C space. With IPv6, this problem will rapidly disappear, at least until we colonize some other planet.
      Simplified Autoconfiguration Hosts that support IPv6 can essentially generate their own address and all the information they need to send and receive data over the network, thanks to a more integrated dynamic host configuration system.
      Added Security IPv6 integrates the IP Authentication Header and the IP Encapsulating Security Payload, which ensure the security and confidentiality of data traveling across the network.
      Native Support For Multicast Efficient streaming applications will finally become a reality, as support for multicast will become widely available.
      As mentioned, the infrastructure on which the Internet is based evolves at a slow pace. Although most vendors of hosts and routers are currently developing some form of IPv6, only a serious and generalized need for its features will make it widely implemented. For more information, you can consult RFCs 1883 and 1884, which define IPv6 and its addressing architecture.