What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

Think of IPv4 as the original "phone book" of the internet. It uses simple number combinations like 192.168.1.1 to identify devices online. But here's the catch - IPv4 can only handle about 4.3 billion unique addresses. That might sound like a lot, but with everyone having multiple connected devices these days, we're actually running out of numbers!

That's where IPv6 comes in - it's like the next-generation upgrade. Instead of just numbers, it uses a longer combination of numbers and letters (like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334). And talk about space - IPv6 has room for 340 undecillion addresses. That's such a huge number, we could assign an address to every grain of sand on Earth and still have plenty left over! IPv6 isn't just about having more addresses though. It's also faster and more secure by design. It's like having a built-in security system, unlike IPv4 which often needs extra tools to keep things safe. While IPv6 is definitely the future, IPv4 is still hanging around - kind of like how some people still use older phones even though newer models are available. (https://whoerip.com/)