IPv6

Ok I am a luddite and haven't a clue what IPv6 does or should I look into it.

I have just had FTTP installed with BT and use an Asus RT-AX88U router and see it has the ability to setup IPv6 but not a clue what settings to put in or should I leave it alone.

All my life I have been in the camp of "If it isn't broke don't fix it"

Do I gain anything by setting up IPv6.

Educate me guy's.

IPv6 is the next gen version of IPv4, you know the network addresses, 192.168.3.21.
To be honest i am still trying to understand them, not that I have tried much, but if everything is working then leave it alone.

I thought more providers would have started to use IPv6 since we have no more IPv4 addresses or very few, even the new up to date Fibre system coming here seems not to use IPv6.

For me over 60% of my traffic goes over IPv6 now so it is becoming more widespread and supported. However without having IPv6 nothing much changes and your Internet still works the same as all sites and services, if they support IPv6, also support IPv4.

It can simplify some things that otherwise have problems negotiating NAT, but NAT has been around so long most issues with NAT are overcome, often using a bit of a hack yes, but they work. For some people wanting remote access or other certain use cases then having their own pool of trillions of internet addresses they can use, rather than just one that is the norm with IPv4, is useful.

At this point in time though you gain little, except perhaps improving your own knowledge if you choose to learn about it and implement it, at some point in the future you may need it to access certain services that are IPv6 only, but I suspect that is some way off yet.

Whats the quickest way for anyone to check they have it? is there a good site to ping for example?

https://ipv6-test.com/

Also https://test-ipv6.com/ Gives a bit more info I think under tests run tab.

Edited by E300 (Thu 03-Dec-20 10:37:48)

I find it hard to get my head around the numbers. My current allocation of IPv6 addresses gives me 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 individual and unique IP addresses on the internet on just one subnet, however I've been allocated 65,535 subnets so have 65,535 x 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 addresses unique to me. Repeat that for everyone and it gives an indication as to just how large the IPv6 address space is.

To me it just seems a waste to have all these IP addresses that I will never ever use, but that is just how big the address space is. Coming from IPv4 where we usually only have one IP, it takes a bit of a mental adjustment!

Hi Tim

If you decide to go any further with IPv6 then the following may be of interest

How to set up IPv6 in ASUS Router

In reply to a post by E300:

Also https://test-ipv6.com/ Gives a bit more info I think under tests run tab.

Virgin Media = 0/10

In reply to a post by dect:

Hi Tim

If you decide to go any further with IPv6 then the following may be of interest

How to set up IPv6 in ASUS Router

Thanks dect to be honest I found that link yesterday and it gives you some idea on the steps through but where do you get the addresses from for my particular usage.

Reading what you guy's have already written I think it's best left alone as there are no advantages it seems by having IPv6.

Many thank for the replies so far.