In this article you will learn:
- What is an IPv6 address for?
- How to enable or disable an IPv6 web hosting address
- Common problems
- Frequently Asked Questions
Purpose of IPv6 addresses
IPv6 addresses (e.g. 2a02:2b88:1:4::16) are a new way of assigning numeric addresses to devices on the network that addresses the lack of older IPv4 addresses (e.g. 46.28.105.2). Clients connecting to a webserver may prefer one of these addresses, but an IPv4 address is usually sufficient.
Older applications may not support IPv6 addresses. So before enabling IPv6 on your existing web host, make sure that the PHP application you are using is IPv6 compatible.
Enabling IPv6 Web Hosting Addresses
Enabling/enabling IPv6 modifies not only AAAA, but also A and MX records in DNS. If you want to keep the original A and MX records, or not modify DNS at all, contact us about enabling/disabling IPv6 via the ⧉ form.
IPv6 is normally enabled on Web hosts, the exception being hosts 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:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- From the top menu, select Hosting Services Webhosting.
- From the list of services, select the service for which you want to authenticate or manage IPv6.
- In the service details, verify the existence of an IPv6 address; if you have one, you can turn IPv6 off or on.
- Confirm your selection by clicking Set DNS records.
If your Webhosting does not have an IPv6 address assigned, please contact us via the form ⧉. A technician will assign you an address.
Common problems
Common IPv6 setup issues include:
PHP application does not cooperate with IPv6
Problem: 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 specified in a global variable $_SERVER[‚REMOTE_ADDR‘]. If someone accesses the web via IPv6, legacy applications do not have to take this into account. A common mistake is to limit the size of the database column used to store the IP address to a low number of characters.
Solution: Check and edit the PHP application.
Web hosting does not allow you to check IPv6 support
Problem: The checkbox to enable IPv6 support is grayed out.
Cause: it is a web host that has not been assigned an IPv6 address by the server.
Solution: contact us via the form, we will assign you an IPv6 address manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there anything else I need to do after enabling/disabling the IPv6 address?
Make sure that DNS records of type AAAA point to the hosting.