The internet runs on IPv6 now.
IPv6 is how most of the internet works today. This site covers the protocol from first principles, with tools to test your connectivity and servers that run it exclusively.
Quick visual
A mental model that clicks fast: IPv6 isn’t “bigger IPv4”, it’s a cleaner address plan.
What you’ll find here
Short guides, common pitfalls, and practical “do this, not that” advice. Built for students, homelabbers, and anyone shipping real services.
Good first step
Run the IPv6 checker. If you’re missing IPv6 at home, start with a tunnel or ask your ISP about native IPv6 connectivity.
Why IPv6 exists
IPv4 was designed in 1981 with a 32-bit address space, giving about 4.3 billion addresses. That ran out. IANA allocated the last blocks in 2011. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, enough space that scarcity won’t be a concern for the foreseeable future.
No NAT
Every IPv6 device gets a globally routable address. You can reach devices directly, without port forwarding or carrier-grade NAT in the way.
Security by Design
IPv6 was designed with IPsec support as a mandatory part of the spec, not an optional add-on. Encryption and authentication at the network layer were part of the plan from the start.
Cleaner Headers
The IPv6 header is fixed at 40 bytes and carries no checksum. Routers skip recalculation entirely, and fragmentation is handled by the source only.
Scale
There are already more internet-connected devices than IPv4 addresses. IPv6 removes that constraint entirely, every sensor, phone, and appliance can have its own address.
How we keep it useful
Plain language, no gatekeeping
We explain terms as we go, so you don’t need a dictionary open in another tab. Learning should be accessible to everyone.
Real-world focus
We cover the stuff that breaks in practice: DNS, firewalls, hosting, and “why can’t I reach this?” moments. No theoretical padding.
Genius Impact
Free IPv6-only VPS options for students and non-profits. Learning infrastructure shouldn’t be locked behind expensive address space.
If you want to run something in an IPv6-only environment, we list VPS plans from RackGenius at 25% off their standard pricing. See plans →
Students and registered non-profits can apply for a free IPv6-only VPS through RackGenius’s Genius Impact program. Genius Impact →