Everything You Should Know about IPv4 and IPv6 VPN

Posted on 28th April 2021

When there is a shortage of IP addresses, people have to design a new internet protocol and save the world from this problem. It is how IPv6 stepped in after the operating of its predecessor, IPv4.  It was invented in the ‘90s and provided new unique addresses. Actually, the offered amount is enough even in case each individual has lots of devices. However, IPv6 is still not fully implemented. The reasons are below:

• There is no compatibility with IPv4

You can’t enter the site if it is running on IPv4 while ISP and your device are using the newer protocol. In this situation, all ISPs, operating systems, and devices must upgrade their systems. Otherwise, a seamless worldwide shift is impossible.  Your devices need to be compatible with both protocols to avoid possible service disruption. Unfortunately, this requires extra investments and is too costly.

• No clear benefits for every user

It is rather challenging for the companies to explain to the clients the necessity of investment in another technology if they can’t see the direct impact. Only if people feel the actual shortage of IP addresses will they understand the value of using new technology, thus creating more IP addresses.

IPv4 & IPv6: Key Differences

IPv6 doesn’t only solve the issue of IP addresses shortage, but it comes with more advantages in comparison to IPv4. Here are the major ones:

1. Absence of geographical limitations. IPv6 guarantees access to every part of the world, unlike IPv4. Hence everybody will be able to use it, unlike IPv4 addresses. Back in the time of the technology development, half of all addresses were reserved for the USA.
2. Enhanced security. Security is a top priority for IPv6. It provides authentication, advanced confidentiality, and data integrity.
3. Auto-configuration. It is one of the best IPv6 features. Auto-configuration lets the devices assign IP addresses on their own and do not use a server. Thanks to the MAC address, the devices can easily connect to the same network while discovering each other.
4. End-to-end connectivity. IPv6 doesn’t require using NAT that engineers created to cope with the lack of IP addresses. It allows all devices to connect to the Internet and deal with every site directly.
5. More effective routing. IPv6 has persistent headers, while IPv4 headers are variable in lengths. As a result, the code for routing is simpler and does not require much hardware. In simpler words, IPv6 provides better service quality and enhanced user experience.

Speed Battle of IPv4 & IPv6

If you are wondering whether IPv6 is faster than its predecessor, then mind, it is not. According to the recent testing in which 22 domains from 6 various locations were involved, IPv6 is slower. In fact, the difference is not huge, and the results admit only a fraction of a second that ordinary users will not even notice.  The testers state that the speed may depend on the location.

Peculiarities of IPv6 VPN

Most of the VPN software works on IPv4. Therefore, if you try to access the site which runs on IPv6, your VPN server will redirect the traffic to an external IPv6 DNS server. It means that traffic will not be secure anymore as it exits a safe VPN tunnel. Here when the worst thing may happen. Your original IP address and your location will be exposed because of susceptibility to a DNS leak. Moreover, the resource that you are visiting may suffer from further problems.  ISP is able to monitor all your online activities, defeating the aim of using a VPN server. It would be rather difficult to detect the following leaks without using a DNS leak test.

You can avoid it with DNS leak protection that a reliable server VeePN offers. VeePN router DNS requests through an encrypted tunnel and does not interact with external DNS providers. This allows you to provide complete protection for traffic as well as DNS queries. You should realize that securing your traffic without guarding DNS queries is simply pointless.

Summing – up

With the fast incorporation of modern technologies in all spheres of a person’s life, it is not surprising that each person has dozens of devices. This is when the problem of unique IP addresses may seem to be very serious and require an efficient solution. Luckily, the technology IPv6 has solved this issue. Its key features are:

• Quality service support (QoS)
• A perfect protocol for neighboring node interaction
• Hierarchical addressing
• Stateless and stateful configuration
• Routing infrastructure

Together with VPN software, a user can safely surf the website and not worry about losing personal information thanks to DNS leak prevention.