Which of the following is a common application of IPv6?

The increased address space due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses is indeed a fundamental and common application of IPv6. The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 was primarily driven by the need to accommodate a growing number of devices and users on the internet. IPv4, which uses a 32-bit addressing scheme, can support approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. However, with the proliferation of connected devices, this pool has been nearly exhausted.

IPv6, on the other hand, utilizes a 128-bit addressing scheme, allowing for a virtually limitless number of unique IP addresses—approximately 340 undecillion addresses. This massive increase not only ensures that there will be enough IP addresses available for future needs but also allows for more efficient routing and management of internet traffic. Therefore, addressing the limitations posed by the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses is a primary application of IPv6, ensuring that all devices can have a unique identifier necessary for communication on the internet.

While greater security features and enhanced encryption methods are positive aspects associated with IPv6, they are not the primary drivers for its implementation. Similarly, although faster data transfer rates could be an outcome of various optimizations, this is not a specific application or characteristic unique to IPv6 itself.