Are you using IPv6?

[thiggins]

Just curious. How are you using IPv6 in your home network?

 

[Tech9]

Nothing at all, but I'm in privileged position with public IPv4 IPs available for all ISP lines. In this case I don't need to apply solutions for non-existing problems and have no need to secure dual-stack networks. Two of my ISP lines don't even support IPv6 in 2025.

 

[bbunge]

My ISP, Brightspeed, only offers 6RD. So why add a problem.

 

[charlie2alpha]

Using it for everything for at least 20 years now. Been a long time since I had any issues with it.

 

[Tech9]

@thiggins I'm not sure Option 2 applies to home routers most folks around are using. It means WAN interface with IPv6 enabled and some/all LAN interfaces with IPv6 disabled. I don't remember seeing this available in any home router UI. Option 3 is more like router with IPv6 enabled, but specific devices on the LAN have IPv6 disabled. Possible for VPN leaks prevention, but this is a client setting and often done automatically by the VPN software. Option 3 in real world is Option 1 (Everything) with few exceptions.

 

[RMerlin]

My ISP delegates me a static /56, so I have one /64 out of it allocated to my LAN devices that do support IPv6. I also manually configured a second /64 which I use for test/development purposes.

It's all really "behind-the-scenes" tho, I never specifically access an IPv6, but it does mean that my LAN clients will make use of it to access remote sites that resolve to an IPv6.

 

[sfx2000]

I've been dual stacked for years - as soon as the ISP started offering it, and even before with a Hurricane Electric IPv6 tunnel.

Oddly enough, most folks are probably running link-local IPv6 on the LAN... Apple tech like AirPlay, HomeKit, AirPrint are IPv6 first, and Thread for IoT is IPv6 only

 

[microchip]

Dual stack since 2010 here. My ISP has pretty robust IPv6 support. Offers me a /56 and I can do whatever I want.

 

[heysoundude]

Dual-stacked here too for longer than I can remember...I'd probably have to take my shoes and socks off to get a more proper count. my client devices are new enough to seem to want to prefer it, or lock to it like a compass needle does North-South

 

[Treadler]

Dual stack here, just works.

 

[sfx2000]

WAN side implementation is the biggest challenge for adoption, second would be education about IPv6 in general.

On the WAN side, there is no consistent means - getting better, but still...

On the LAN side - there's a lot of concerns, and this is education around firewalls, and IPv4-NAT which folks are comfortable with. Nothing I can say there that will make folks get this - they see a public IPv6 addr on a LAN node and expect it to be exposed to the internet...

 

[XIII]

WAN side implementation is the biggest challenge for adoption, second would be education about IPv6 in general.

I’m one one of the people who could use some education on IPv6…

For example to learn more about what /56 and /64 means (ranges?).

Any recommendations on where to start?

 

[thiggins]

Good comments here, thanks. Has anyone specifically disabled IPv6 on their devices, and if so, why?

 

[degrub]

YES. 1) no need for dual stack, 2) some security concerns from the early days, 3) slight increase in overhead on devices, 4) immature client drivers. Basically, #1 and inertia.

 

[Tech9]

Has anyone specifically disabled IPv6 on their devices, and if so, why?

I run IPv4 networks only. In my locations public IPv4 addresses are available and the problem IPv6 was designed to solve doesn't exist yet. In this case there is no need to complicate things for no good reason. This includes opening new doors with new locks resulting in expanded possible attack surface. If it ain't broke, don't fix it principle.

I did run dual-stack in a home environment for some time. Noticeable user experience improvement - zero. Noticeable network management experience - significantly worse up to a point I can't tell how many devices are actually connected to the network and what they are doing. I also don't like my own network as part of Internet idea.

 

[oldguy]

Good comments here, thanks. Has anyone specifically disabled IPv6 on their devices, and if so, why?

The wider usage of VPN’s which only support IPV4 traffic using an IPV6 kill switch makes the IPV6 irrelevant in most home scenarios
So when I setup the VPN client on my Unifi Router I will probably disable IPV6 unless I opt for the Mulvard VPN which supports IPV6.
I won’t make the selection of VPN provider and the changes needed until I fully understand the options given I have seen posts in various forums that VPN clients may need to be reconnected causing frustrations that my wife will not be happy about

 

[juanantonio]

My ISP delegates me a static /56, so I have one /64 out of it allocated to my LAN devices that do support IPv6. I also manually configured a second /64 which I use for test/development purposes.

It's all really "behind-the-scenes" tho, I never specifically access an IPv6, but it does mean that my LAN clients will make use of it to access remote sites that resolve to an IPv6.

The same here, I am delighted to have dual stack avialable. I even have redirected IPv6 addresses to my Wireguard server following the excellent guide of @ZebMcKayhan and @Martineau Wireguard Session Manager!

 

[RMerlin]

I’m one one of the people who could use some education on IPv6…

For example to learn more about what /56 and /64 means (ranges?).

Any recommendations on where to start?

Look at Huricane Electric's Tunnel Broker. They provide you a free IPv6 tunnel (in case your ISP doesn't support it), and take you through exercices to help you learn about it.

As for /56, it's the same CIDR notation as used by IPv4. Short explanation:

IP addresses are internally stored in binary. An IPv4 is 32-bit. An IPv6 is 128 bit.

CIDR suffix tells you how many bits are used for the network, with the rest being used for the devices. For example, the commonly used 192.168.0.0/24 mean that 24 bit are used for the network (192.168.0.xxx), and the remaining 8 bits are used to designate clients (192.168.0.1 through 192.168.0.255 - that last IP being reserved for broadcasting)

With IPv6, a /56 mean that 56 of the bits are used for the network, and the remaining 72-bits are used for your devices. Typically, those 72-bit are subdivided into separate subnets of 64-bits each (/64), with each of them giving you 2^64 unique IPs, or 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 unique IP addresses. A regular network is typically only using a /64.

 

[RMerlin]

Good comments here, thanks. Has anyone specifically disabled IPv6 on their devices, and if so, why?

One reason I can see is it simplifies security. IPv6 being routed, it means you don't have the inherent firewalling provided by NAT for inbound connections. IPv6 requires you to manually configure it in some cases. It's easy to accidentally leave a device fully exposed to the Internet. While a misconfigured NAT would immediately be visible with loss of Internet access.

 

[RMerlin]

the problem IPv6 was designed to solve doesn't exist yet.

While I generally consider IPv6 to be overengineered, it still brings the chicken-and-egg issue here. IPv6 cannot reach it`s full usefulness until everyone uses it. And not everyone wants to use it because it's not really usefull yet.