In this article, you will learn:

• What IPv6 is for
• How to enable or disable IPv6 on Webhosting
• Common issues
• Frequently asked questions

IPv6 addresses (e.g. 2a02:2b88:1:4::16) are a new way of assigning numerical addresses to devices on the network, which solves the lack of older IPv4 addresses (e.g. 46.28.105.2). Clients connecting to a web server may prefer one of these addresses, but an IPv4 address is usually sufficient.

Older applications may not support IPv6 addresses. Therefore, before enabling IPv6 for an existing Webhosting, make sure that the PHP application you are using is IPv6 compatible.

Warning! Enabling/disabling IPv6 will modify not only type AAAA records in DNS, but also type A and MX records. If you want to keep the original A and MX records, or not modify the DNS at all, contact us about disabling/enabling IPv6.

IPv6 is normally enabled on Webhosting services, the exception is hostings that do not have an IPv6 address assigned by the server. Check the address and any settings in the Webhosting details by following these steps:

1. Log into the customer administration panel.
2. In the navigation bar, select Web & Email Hosting Webhosting.
3. Choose the hosting service to manage IPv6 on.
4. In the detail, check whether the service supports IPv6.
5. Click the Set DNS Records button.

If your Webhosting has not been assigned an IPv6 address, contact us. A technician will assign you the address.

Common problems with IPv6 setup include:

• PHP application doesn’t work with IPv6
• Webhosting doesn’t support IPv6

Issue: After activating the IPv6 address, the PHP application does not work as it should.

Cause: The application can work with the IP address from which the request came. This address is listed in the global variable $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']. If someone accesses the web via IPv6, legacy applications don’t need to account for this. A common error is to limit the size of the database column to store the IP address to a low number of characters.

Solution: Check and update your PHP application.

Issue: The checkbox for enabling IPv6 support is grayed out.

Cause: This Webhosting has not been assigned an IPv6 address by the server.

Solution: Contact us. A technician will assign you an IPv6 address manually.

Question: Do I need to do anything else after enabling/disabling the IPv6 address?
Answer: Make sure the AAAA DNS records direct to the hosting.