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World IPv6 Day facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

World IPv6 Day was a special event that happened on January 12, 2011. On this day, many websites tested a new version of the Internet's main language, called IPv6. Think of it like upgrading the roads the Internet uses to send information!

There was another important event on June 6, 2012, called World IPv6 Launch Day. For this day, the Internet Society hoped that IPv6 would really start working for everyone on many websites around the world. It was a big step for the future of the Internet.

What is IPv6?

The Internet uses a special system called the Internet Protocol (IP) to send information between computers. Every device connected to the Internet, like your phone or computer, gets a unique address. This is similar to how your house has a unique address so mail can find you.

Why do we need a new version?

The older version, called IPv4, was created a long time ago. It uses addresses that look like "192.168.1.1". The problem is, there aren't enough unique IPv4 addresses for all the devices in the world! Imagine if every house in the world needed a unique number, but we only had enough numbers for a few billion.

IPv6 solves this problem by using much longer addresses, like "2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334". This means there are trillions and trillions of possible IPv6 addresses. It's enough for every device that will ever exist, and then some!

How does IPv6 help?

  • More Devices: With IPv6, we can connect many more devices to the Internet. This is important for things like smart homes, self-driving cars, and other new technologies.
  • Better Performance: Sometimes, IPv6 can help the Internet work a little faster and more smoothly.
  • New Features: IPv6 also allows for new ways to connect and secure devices, which can make the Internet safer and more powerful.

Why were these events important?

World IPv6 Day and World IPv6 Launch Day were important because they encouraged websites and Internet companies to switch to IPv6. It's a big change, and everyone needs to work together to make it happen.

Testing the new Internet

On World IPv6 Day, websites temporarily turned on IPv6 for 24 hours. This was like a big test run. They wanted to see if everything worked correctly and if there were any problems. It helped them find and fix issues before the big switch.

Making the switch permanent

World IPv6 Launch Day was when many major websites and Internet service providers (ISPs) permanently turned on IPv6. This meant that a lot more of the Internet started using the new system for good. It was a big step towards a future where IPv6 is the main way the Internet works.

The future of the Internet

Even though these events happened years ago, the move to IPv6 is still ongoing. More and more of the Internet uses IPv6 every day. This helps make sure the Internet can keep growing and connecting new devices and technologies for everyone.

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