16.1 Introduction

IPv6 will be the largest overhaul of the Internet since its commercialization. It is due to arrive in 2005 and will incrementally replace the Internet protocol (IP). Many existing network programs will become obsolete as they become incompatible with the emerging networks. This will inevitably create a great opportunity for network programmers who are familiar with the new protocol.

Such a large overhaul is extremely expensive, but the simple fact is that the IP cannot accommodate the explosion in market demand for Internet access. In the long run, the migration to IPv6 makes perfect sense and is inevitable. IPv6 will create a bigger, faster Internet that will continue to accommodate the world's bandwidth-hungry population into the twenty-second century. Making your application IPv6 compatible from the outset will ensure that you will not have to go through a costly overhaul once IPv6 becomes mainstream.

This chapter is divided into two sections, beginning with a discussion of IPv6 in general and the utilities you can use to manage IPv6 on your network. The chapter concludes with an example of how to communicate over IPv6 from within a .NET application.

16.2 What is IPv6?

IP addresses are 32 bits long, which provides four billion unique addresses. The number of assigned IP addresses is fast approaching this mark. Contributing to this consumption of IP addresses are professionals in the developed world who may have several computers dedicated for their use. The largest source of IP wastage is the way in which addresses...