IPv6 modes

[Speedy]

I have an AirPort Extreme router, and at the tab Advanced > IPv6 I can choose 4 different IPv6 modes: link-local (default), host, tunnel and router. Does anyone know what each IPv6 mode does?

 

[DiscoDave]

Apple's terminilogy is a bit confusing as the only term I know from those that are ipv6 standard are link-local and tunnel.

Link local address are equivalent to automatic APIPA addresses (169.254.0.0/16).

Tunneling is most likely some sort of ISATAP implementation that allows a IPv6 network to communicate with an IPv4 network (or possibly 6to4)

I would expect a host to just have a unique local address (equivalent to 192.168.X.X), these being with "fd" in he ipv6 world. As for router, no idea.

Perhaps this thread can help you? (Sorry, not a Mac user myself) http://www.tunnelbroker.net/forums/index.php?topic=680.0

I'd imagine you'd be using the "tunnel" mode unless you have a ipv6 ready ISP (unlikely)

 

[Speedy]

Thanks for the information. My ISP is IPv6-ready (most are in the area), so then I'd need to use the Tunnel-mode, because most websites don't support IPv6. Or is this scenario irrelevant?

 

[tolien]

If they do native IPv6 (which is possibly the "router" mode), they'd likely handle the 6-to-4 side.