Which version of the Internet Protocol was developed to address IPv4 limitations?

The selection of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) is appropriate because it was specifically developed to address the limitations posed by Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4). One of the most significant limitations of IPv4 is its address space, which supports approximately 4.3 billion unique IP addresses. This was adequate in the early days of the internet but became insufficient as the number of internet-connected devices grew exponentially.

IPv6 was introduced to expand this address space dramatically, providing a theoretical limit of around 340 undecillion addresses (3.4 x 10^38), ensuring that every device can have a unique IP address. Additionally, IPv6 incorporates features such as improved routing efficiency, built-in security with IPsec, and better support for mobile devices, which further enhance its functionality and resilience compared to IPv4.

The other options presented do not fulfill this role. For instance, IPv5 was never a formal version of the Internet Protocol meant for general use but was instead related to an experimental stream protocol. ICMP and ARP serve different purposes within the network layer: ICMP is used for sending error messages and operational information, while ARP is used for mapping IP addresses to MAC addresses in a local area network. Therefore, they are