How do ipv4 and ipv6 play together?

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robjg63

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#210371 24-Mar-2017 16:59

With a few ISPs launching ipv6 I thought it was time to ask the dumb questions....

I have a static IP address with my ISP - if ipv6 gets switched on does that mean I would also have a static ipv6 address?

I use a DNS unblocker - they seem to prefer ipv6 to be disabled - This seems to be common with DNS unblockers.

If I use the DNS unblockers DNS servers on a device, does that mean each device needs ipv6 disabled?

Can you have a mix of ipv6 and ipv4 devices on a home network?

Anyone got any other thoughts on what the average home user might need to be aware of?

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Behodar

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#1747210 24-Mar-2017 17:13

I can only answer one of your questions.

I have a static IP address with my ISP - if ipv6 gets switched on does that mean I would also have a static ipv6 address?

In my experience, yes. My current ISP (Mynxnet) gives a single static IPv4 and a static IPv6 /56. If I understand correctly then a /56 contains more addresses than the total IPv4 pool!

DarkShadow

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#1747212 24-Mar-2017 17:14

robjg63:

I have a static IP address with my ISP - if ipv6 gets switched on does that mean I would also have a static ipv6 address?

Can you have a mix of ipv6 and ipv4 devices on a home network?

IPv6 and v4 are usually set as dual stack, which means you can have a device that does both v6 and v4, and one that does v4 only and one that v6 only. If your device does both v6 and v4, it'll try to use v6 to access a service and fall back to v4 if that fails.

Whether you get a static v6 address or not depends on how your ISP sets it up. With v6 you usually get a block of addresses instead of just one, somewhere between a /48 and a /64. Your ISP would allocate you a prefix and then you manage your own addresses inside that space.

darylblake

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#1747213 24-Mar-2017 17:15

If the host you are connecting to only has a IP v6 address then you need to have one to talk to it. But most hosts have both.

If you are browsing using IPv6 and you need to be routed across a path that only has IPv4 then the v6 packets will be encapsulated until they hit a v6 router and the encapsulation will be removed. IIRC.

robjg63

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#1747260 24-Mar-2017 19:02

I think you may have answered my questions.
Sounds like everything should keep working then.
Thanks very much.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler