By Bradley Mitchell
Internet Protocol (IP) technology was developed in the 1970s to support some of the first research computer networks. Today, IP has become a worldwide standard for home and business networking as well. Our network routers, Web browsers, email programs, instant messaging software - all rely on IP or other network protocols layered on top of IP.
Two versions of IP technology exist today. Essentially all home computer networks use IP version 4 (IPv4), but an increasing number of educational and research institutions have adopted the next generation IP version 6 (IPv6).