Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are these unique numbers used to differentiate different devices on the internet.
And sometimes, they are also used to classify proxies. Proxies are technologies and machines that serve as middlemen standing between users and the web.
And proxies can be grouped based on the kind of IPs they work with. For instance, we have Residential and Datacenter proxies that use IPs allocated by internet service providers (ISPs) and third-party companies, respectively.
Then we have IPv4 and IPv6 proxies that work with versions 4 and 6 of the protocol system, respectively.
Today, we will focus on this second classification but specifically on IPv6 proxies, what they are, how best to use them and how an IPv6 differs from an IPv4 proxy.
Table of Contents
What Is An IPv6 Proxy?
Every device on the internet has an IP address, and this is essentially what differentiates one user from the next and allows connections to be unique. And in the mid-1980s, when IPv4 was first introduced to supply these unique addresses, no one knew a day would come when humanity would run out of IPs.
Eventually, in the 1990s, IPv4 stopped producing new IPs after 4.3 billion IPs had been created. IPv4 was limited, and IPs had to be recycled and reused between internet users.
IPv6 was invented to mitigate this problem by allowing for an infinite amount of IPs. And IPv6 proxies were subsequently invented to assist in this cause.
An IPv6 proxy can be defined as a middleman that sits between internet users and the rest of the internet and uses IPv6 addresses to transfer connections back and forth.
The tool also helps to translate traffic coming from the lower-end IPv4 addresses to reach websites and servers built on and hosted by newer technologies.
What Are The Primary Functionalities OF IPv6 Proxies?
The primary functionality of IPv6 proxies is the transfer of traffic between a user and the web using IPv6 addresses.
Another function would be translating and transcribing traffic coming from devices using IPv4 addresses.
Since older devices and websites are still built and hosted by the older IP variant, IPv6 proxies try to understand and translate traffic to ensure that communication is smooth regardless of what address it is coming from.
Best Application of IPv6 Proxies
You can maximize IPV6 proxies and use them in several ways, and below are some of the best ways to get the most value out of these tools:
- For Security
Proxies generally bring more benefits when used for security purposes, and this is also the case with IPv6 proxies which do a better job than IPv4 proxies.
This proxy can handle your defenses against every form of intrusion by standing in the middle. Particularly, the Secure Neighbor Discovery (SEND) is used by IPv6, which enables encrypted connections and ensures that your data is always secured.
- For Scalability
Due to how IPv6 proxies are designed, they can be used to scale up operations. The IPv6 system allows for unlimited production of addresses and can scale up to meet any needs for IP addresses, whether now or in the nearest future.
You can also use IPv6 proxies to scale up to new businesses’ needs if they can handle these.
- For Better Connections
IPv6 systems and IPv6 proxies are also the ideal tools for better connectivity. They can handle connections from any device or website and easily interpret and translate traffic to facilitate connections.
Pros and Cons of IPv6 Proxy
Let us consider the pros and cons of IPv6:
Pros:
- It can effectively reduce the size of any routing table and make routing more efficient
- It directs better data flow and allows for a more bandwidth-intensive packet flow
- IPv6 is also very efficient at packet processing compared to the older IPv4
- IPv6 provides better security, more confidentiality, greater data authentication, and increased data integrity
- It uses auto-configuration for its address assignment, making network configuration and connection much simpler
- IPv6 allows for true end-to-end connection and supports new services effortlessly
Cons:
- Routing may need to be manually entered, thereby making using IPv6 more complex.
- Adoption and upgrade is still very slow and low
- Switching may be expensive
IPv6 vs. IPv4 Proxies
An IPv4 proxy existed for a long time to use IPs of the fourth variant to transfer traffic between users and the internet. It was simple, but once IPv4 stopped making new addresses, a new invention that had no limit to how many addresses could be made became necessary.
IPv6 proxies were developed to stand between users and the internet, but they can comfortably transmit IPv4 traffic. Whether it works or not depends on your ipv4 proxy strategy.
Aside from the number of IPs, there are other differences between IPv4 and IPv6. For instance, IPv6 offers better security, enhanced encryption, higher website connection, better routing, global reachability and an all-around better user experience.
The IPv6 proxy is also of a higher quality with lower cost than the IPv4 proxy making the newer technology more desirable.
Conclusion
The IPv6 and IPv4 proxy exist for the primary purpose of transferring connections and providing online security.
But as we have seen, one seems better at these attributes than the other, and worldwide adoption of IPv6 is imminent.
