Project Abstract

Abstract
The implementation of IPv6 addresses in Nigerian universities has become a vital and pressing issue as the world transitions from IPv4 to IPv6 due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses. This research project explores the challenges, benefits, and strategies for implementing IPv6 addresses in Nigerian universities. The study involves a detailed analysis of the current networking infrastructure in Nigerian universities and the readiness of these institutions to adopt IPv6. By conducting surveys and interviews with IT personnel and administrators in various universities, the research aims to identify the main obstacles hindering the implementation of IPv6 and propose solutions to overcome these challenges. The benefits of implementing IPv6 in Nigerian universities are significant, including the ability to accommodate the growing number of internet-connected devices on campus, enhance network security, and support emerging technologies such as IoT and cloud computing. Furthermore, IPv6 offers improved performance and efficiency compared to IPv4, making it essential for universities to upgrade their networks to remain competitive and provide a seamless online experience for students, faculty, and staff. The research project also examines the strategies that Nigerian universities can employ to facilitate the transition to IPv6, including staff training, infrastructure upgrades, and collaboration with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and regulatory bodies. Additionally, the study investigates best practices and lessons learned from other countries that have successfully implemented IPv6 to guide Nigerian universities in their adoption process. Overall, the implementation of IPv6 addresses in Nigerian universities is crucial for ensuring sustainable and secure internet connectivity, supporting digital transformation initiatives, and enabling innovation in teaching, research, and administration. By addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities presented by IPv6, Nigerian universities can strengthen their network infrastructure, enhance their competitiveness on a global scale, and contribute to the development of a thriving digital ecosystem in the country.

Project Overview

1.  INTRODUCTION

1. Internet Protocol version 4,is one of standard internetwork-layer protocol used and the first version of the protocol to be widely deployed on the Internet. Going through the history during the early 1990s, it was clear that IPv4 was not a long-term protocol. Its design did not anticipate a number of requirements that turned out to be crucial. Such requirements not only pertained to the proliferation of devices, but also the need for additional security, simpler configuration and better prioritization of some services, such as real-time services (often referred to as Quality of Service issues). [1]

          The deployment of a new
architecture becomes a need as well as a necessity. The transition to IPv6
holds the future of the internet infrastructure. IPv6, the protocol which is a
robust technology designed as a successor to IP version 4 (IPv4), the
predominant protocol in use today. The changes from IPv4 to IPv6 are primarily
in the areas of expanded addressing capabilities; header format simplification;
improved support for extensions and options; flow labeling capability; and
consolidated authentication and privacy capabilities.

The kind of communication that will be enabled by the advent of IPv6 will be particularly useful in the embedded systems arena, as millions of new devices take advantage of Internet connectivity. Although IPv6 has been around for several years, there continues to be a debate about its value. But there are many ways in which IPv4 is not working, and there are good amount of reasons why the migration to IPv6 is not only desirable, but necessary. Some of the areas include increased address space, internet Security, Quality of Service, auto configuration, wireless WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). The list are endless. One of the important aspects of implementation of IPv6 is that it will remove any concern about the limitation of IP addresses. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, versus the 32-bit addresses used by IPv4. Compared to the total possible number of IPv4 addresses, 4.29 billion, IPv6 provides nearly 600 quadrillion addresses for every square millimeter on earth. That’s 6×1023 addresses for every square meter of the earth’s surface. When each device has its own unique global IP address and Network Address Translation is no longer necessary, peer-to-peer communication will become much easier. [2] Two devices will be able to establish direct communication without the need to translate between global and private addresses. Two-way applications such as IP telephony and video conferencing will be much simpler to develop. Routing tables will become far less complex, which will enable higher performance for Internet traffic and more bandwidth for additional communication.
Although IPv6 age has not yet completely materialized, but the hard work behind it has started paying off. It’s now showing up in more and more places. Before now, we were accustomed to connecting desktops to the Internet, but with IPv6, we will see embedded systems taking advantage of the Internet in innovative ways. By removing the limitation of IP addresses, IPv6 will enable a large number of devices and applications to benefit from the Internet. Many embedded systems will now have their own IP addresses, thus eliminating the need for Network Address Translation. This will enable direct peer-to-peer communication, unprecedented security with IPsec, Quality of Service, seamless connectivity and auto configuration. These developments would take the future of IPv6 and the internet beyond the boundaries.

1.1     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

• There is shortage of  IP addresses, which makes it  necessary to make the transition to the IPv6
  protocol in the Nigeria Universities network

• Due to this shortage, an address sharing
  mechanism NAT(Network Address translation) is used which result to denial of
  service( D.o.S),poor connectivity and flapping services to eager network users

• There are complications in the peer-to-peer communication,
  end-to-end security, and quality of service (QoS).

1.2
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The
aim of this study is to;

• To design and implement the IPv6
  addressing system in some Nigeria Universities using GNS3.

This
is to achieve the following objectives;

• To ensure the availability of enough IPv6 addresses.

•  To
  highlight the need and benefits of implementing the IPv6 addresses and protocol

• To provide knowledge and have people
  prepare in this area of IPv6 protocol implementation,

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY

The
current extent of spread and application of IPV6 in the Nigerian universities
Internet is too poor (about 14%), suggesting therefore that IPV6 technologies
and its application, have very little spread in the Nigerian universities due
to reasons like cost of change of equipment and infrastructures, lack of
expertise as should be needed, school politics involved in IPv6 roll-out, and
other bottlenecks of IPv6 development both presently experienced and those
envisaged in future.

Therefore,
to this end, it is conclusively and generally revealing that IPv6 is yet to be
fully deployed and used in Nigeria universities.

This work will to this extent, deal with the issues of lack of awareness of IPv6 and possible deployment in higher institutions and to highlight the need and benefits of the implementation of IPv6 protocol in Nigerian Universities.