How to Migrate from IPv4 to IPv6: A Step-by-Step Guide

The advent of Internet Protocol version 6, IPv6, which is the next-generation Internet Protocol version as the successor to IPv4 has made IP address related calculations more elaborate than before. Although IPv4 is still in dominant use, it is inevitable for system and network administrators to gear up for working with the more complex IPv6. Bitcricket IP Subnet Calculator is a handy utility for Windows and Mac users for easy IPv4 and IPv6 related calculations. These include identifying the subnet, class I.D, CIDR and IPv6 related information. It also helps in migrating from IPv4 to IPv6. According to the developer, “the Bitcricket subnet calculator is the first to support IPv6”.

To find detailed information about an IP address, simply type it in the Conversions tab (in the Dotted Decimal text box). This will automatically display the maximum number of subnets, the number of host bits, or the maximum number of desired hosts.

The Class ID can be easily identified from the Classes tab.

Likewise, the CIDR (Class Inter-Domain Routing) can also be calculated from the CIDR tab. CIDR or “supernetting” is a methodology of allocating IP addresses and routing Internet Protocol packets. This way IP routes (especially Class C) can be aggregated into a smaller set of routing table entries. For more details about a routing table, you can see our post here.

There are no subnets in IPv6 (and thus no subnet masks). However, there are different types of IPv6 addresses and bits/fields with different interpretations. The best part of the application is that it provides intricate information about an IPv6 address, which makes it easier to calculate related information. Moreover, this IP calculator helps you migrate from IPv4 to IPv6 by supporting the 6 different IPv6 flavors that embed IPv4.