What is the total number of bits in an IPv6 address?

An IPv6 address consists of 128 bits. This is a significant increase from the previous version, IPv4, which uses only 32 bits. The expansion to 128 bits allows for a vastly larger address space, accommodating the growing number of devices connected to the Internet.

IPv6 addresses are typically expressed in hexadecimal format and represented as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons. This structure not only provides a larger quantity of unique addresses but also addresses issues such as address exhaustion that were prominent in IPv4.

The correct answer highlights the advancements in address allocation and the necessity of IPv6 to support the increasing demand for IP addresses in a modern networking environment.