An IPv6 address is a numerical label assigned to devices on a network that uses the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) for communication. IPv6 addresses serve the same purpose as IPv4 addresses but are structured differently and provide a much larger address space.
IPv6 addresses are 128 bits in length, compared to the 32-bit length of IPv4 addresses. This significantly expands the available address space, allowing for trillions upon trillions of unique addresses.
IPv6 addresses are typically written in hexadecimal notation and separated into eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons. For example, a typical IPv6 address might look like this: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.
IPv6 adoption is increasing due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses and the need to accommodate the growing number of internet-connected devices. It provides several advantages over IPv4, including improved security, better support for mobile devices, and more efficient routing.