Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) is the successor to Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4). IPv6 was developed to address the limitations of IPv4, most notably the shortage of available IP addresses. While IPv4 has approximately 4 billion addresses (32 bits), IPv6 offers a virtually infinite supply of approximately 3.4 × 1038 addresses (128 bits).

In addition to the larger address range, IPv6 offers several technical improvements:

  • More efficient routing and network autoconfiguration.
  • Making Network Address Translation (NAT) redundant.
  • Data security at the IP level.
  • Better support for mobile devices.

The role of signetbreedband

As a business Internet Service Provider, we deliver internet optic services for the business market. To be future-proof, it is essential that we offer IPv6. The IPv4 address space is becoming exhausted, making it increasingly difficult for business customers to acquire multiple IP addresses.


Options and delivery

Native IPv6 and Dual Stack

signetbreedband delivers native IPv6, without the use of tunnels. Our network is fully dual stack; this means that in addition to your current IPv4 infrastructure, you can also use IPv6. This enables a solid and simple implementation within your organization.

IPv6 is available on all our fiber networks and colocation sites. Customers who indicate they will use IPv6 are provided with a /48 subnet, which encompasses millions of addresses.

Configuration example

Typically, we provide a /64 from our own address space for the connection between signetbreedband and your router(s). We route the complete /48 subnet that we have reserved for your connection, over this /64 connection.

Scenario:

  • Existing IPv4 connection: 123.123.123.16/28
  • Assigned IPv6 /48 subnet: 2001:4cb8:abcd::/48

Implementation by signetbreedband:

  • Transport subnet:2001:4cb8:abcd:ffff::/64between us and your router.
    • signetbreedband side: 2001:4cb8:abcd:ffff::1
    • Your router side: 2001:4cb8:abcd:ffff::2
  • Routing: signetbreedband routes your subnet 2001:4cb8:abcd::/48 to the address 2001:4cb8:abcd:ffff::2.

In this way, you have millions of addresses available on the "inside" of your router. By using router advertisements on your LAN interface, it is no longer necessary to assign addresses via DHCP; IPv6 handles this automatically. Your existing IPv4 subnet remains unchanged.

Supported services

Many signetbreedband services are already IPv6-ready, including:

  • IPv6 ipspace for your internet connection
  • All DNS resolvers are available via IPv6


Implications and requirements

Equipment

To make use of your own /48 address space, an IPv6-compatible router is required.

Check the throughput: Verify with the vendor whether the throughput for IPv6 is as high as for IPv4. Some manufacturers process IPv6 in software (CPU), whereas IPv4 is handled in hardware (ASIC). This can lead to significantly lower speeds for IPv6 traffic.

Security and Firewalling

Implementing IPv6 has consequences for your network security. Because NAT is no longer necessary, every device receives a publicly reachable IP address.

Critical: Ensure you have a firewall that regulates incoming IPv6 traffic for your /48 subnet. A standard IPv4 firewall will in many cases not block IPv6 traffic!

Professional routers from Juniper, Cisco, or Fortigate are well-suited for packet filtering on IPv6.

Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC)

Many IPv6 routers support router advertisements. This allows every PC in your network to automatically receive an IP address without DHCP. The MAC address of the network interface is rewritten to the last 64 bits of the IPv6 address.

Note: If you are implementing IPv6 on your router and enable router advertisements immediately, every PC in the LAN will instantly receive an IPv6 address. Test your routing and filtering thoroughly first to avoid connectivity issues.


Useful tips

  • Preference: Operating systems such as Windows and Linux will always prefer IPv6 over IPv4. If a website is reachable via both IPv4 and IPv6, the connection will be handled via IPv6. For example, if you execute a ping command, and IPv6 is available, you will get the reply in IPv6 format.
  • Connectivity: If IPv6 is configured but not working correctly (e.g., due to routing or filtering), a connection to a dual-stack website may fail completely.
  • Notation:It is not necessary to write out all zeros in an IPv6 address.
    • 2001:4cb8:0001:0002:0000:0000:0000:0004 can be written as 2001:4cb8:1:2:0:0:0:4.
    • Multiple consecutive zeros can be combined once using ::. The previous example becomes 2001:4cb8:1:2::4.
  • Structure: It can be useful to maintain a numbering scheme for different types of equipment. For example, use :80: for web servers and :25: for mail servers (e.g., 2001:4cb8:1:2::80:1)