Why a new version of the IP protocol?

Thanks to its astonishing flexibility and simplicity, the IP protocol has always been able to be adapted and improved to meet new needs arising from the evolution of technologies and applications (transport of heterogeneous flows, QoS, security). It has established itself as the unifying protocol capable of enabling applications with very different characteristics to operate on a wide variety of media.

By specifying version 6 of the IP protocol, the IETF has largely anticipated future developments, made inevitable by IPv4's own success and the emergence of high-speed technologies. These include :

• taking into account the increase in the number of mobile and fixed terminals;

• the mobility provided by wireless technologies;

• the need to simplify configuration...