Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
It is important to ensure that new Winsock applications as well as existing applications are fully compatible with IPv6. The availability of the IPv4 address space for new IPv4 address allocations was exhausted for Asia and the Pacific in 2011. Other parts of the world are expected to be exhausted in a few years.
A growing percentage of new websites and services are available using IPv6 addresses. Many Internet users in emerging markets are dependent on IPv6 for Internet access.
Microsoft has a long commitment of supporting IPv6. Full IPv6 support is provided on Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and later.
This document provides information about the Winsock support for IPv6:
- Using IPv6
- Using Internet Explorer to Access IPv6 Websites
- Recommended Configurations for IPv6
- Additional IPv6 Topics
For additional information on adding IPv6 capability to your Windows Sockets applications, see IPv6 Guide for Windows Sockets Applications.
An introduction to the IPv6 protocol along with overviews on deployment and IPv6 transitioning technologies is available on Technet at Microsoft Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
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