Implementation Challenges of IPv6 on Wireless Sensor Networks

With emerging IPv6 based Standards such as ISA-100a and 6LowPAN/IEEE 802.15.4, IPv6 based sensor networks are the next era. As wireless sensor networks grow, we need implementation of IPv6 on it due to some advanced features available with IPv6 such as security mechanism. There are various challenges when implementing IPv6 on wireless sensor networks major one is interoperability with millions of deployed embedded IPv6 based devices for In-door and Out-door applications, both within the sensor networks itself and between the sensor modules and the Internet hosts. Through this contribution our objective is to explore the key features needed at network layer in WSN's protocol stack, security features of IPv6 should incorporated with next generation of WSNs, challenges faced with implementation or deployment of IPv6 on WSNs, presenting an overview of uIPv6 and recommending portability for all sensor node's operating systems and also highlighting the issues that affects security of WSNs.