Any internet-enabled device has a unique IP address that identifies it for internet communication to work. These IP addresses can be IPv4 or IPv6, or both since both methods are in place today. Because IPv4 is more common, people often consider it the sole IP address for any device, focusing all methods on modifying this address only. However, there can be numerous situations where you need to disable IPv6 discretely.
But how to disable IPv6, we hear you ask. Don’t worry; this quick guide explains it for all major operating systems step-by-step. But before that, let’s quickly understand what IPv6 is all about and which factors trigger the need to disable IPv6.
What is IPV6?
The IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is the newest internet protocol that identifies devices and networks across the internet. It emerged as a solution to the rising IPv4 exhaustion in response to the growing number of devices connecting to the internet.
Technically, IPv6 uses 128-bit internet addresses, unlike IPv4, which relies on 32-bit addresses. Thus, it can handle more unique IP numbers than the existing IPv4. In addition, IPv6 provides better security, improved network address translation, and administrative workload. Besides, it eliminates the dependency on location (unlike IPv4) by retaining a device’s unique IP address regardless of the physical location.