Half of Google Users Now on IPv6

The internet's original address system, IPv4, has run out of addresses, and IPv6 is necessary to support the growing number of devices connecting to the internet, including those in home networks. Half of Google's users now connect via IPv6, which has enough addresses for all devices in the world to have their own.

IPv4 was introduced in 1981 as the standard which fixed all addresses at 32 bits, creating around 4.3 billion addresses. However, these addresses eventually ran out, with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority assigning its last few blocks of IPv4 addresses to the regional registries in February 2011. North America's allocation of IPv4 addresses ran dry in September 2015.

IPv6, on the other hand, was first standardized in 1995 with 128-bit addresses, providing around 340 undecillion (10^36) addresses. This is several trillion times more than the number of devices that exist in the world, making it an essential upgrade for the growing number of devices connecting to the internet.

Most internet providers now use carrier-grade NAT, which places groups of customers behind shared addresses. This is because home routers use Network Address Translation (NAT) to cope with the limited number of IPv4 addresses, giving each device inside a private address while the home holds one public address.

## Why it matters The shift to IPv6 is crucial for supporting the increasing number of devices connecting to the internet. With the rise of smart home devices, it's likely that many households have multiple devices sharing one public internet address. IPv6 provides a solution to this problem, allowing each device to have its own unique address. Although IPv6 won't make Wi-Fi faster, it's essential for ensuring that all devices can connect to the internet without any issues.

## What happens next As more devices connect to the internet, the need for IPv6 will continue to grow. Although most routers support IPv6 alongside IPv4 in a setup called dual stack, it's essential for users to check their router settings to ensure IPv6 is enabled. With half of Google's users already connecting via IPv6, it's likely that other internet providers will follow suit, making IPv6 the new standard for internet connectivity.