IPv6 Deployment Strategies and Techniques

Tunneling IPv6

Six-to-Four Tunneling

• Definition: Sends IPv6 information over an existing IPv4 address.
• Address Creation: IPv6 address based on existing IPv4 address.
• Challenges: Requires specific relay routers; does not support Network Address Translation (NAT), limiting internet traffic.

Four-in-Six Tunneling

• Definition: Tunnels IPv4 traffic inside an existing IPv6 network.
• Usage: Less common due to associated challenges.

Teredo Tunneling

• Definition: Tunnels IPv6 through an NATed IPv4 network.
• Advantages: Supports NAT, no need for special routers or relay systems; seen as a temporary communication form.
• Platforms: Commonly seen on Windows; open-source version (Miredo) available for Linux, BSD, Unix, and macOS.

Dual Stack Routing

• Definition: Devices and routers communicate using both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously.
• Configuration: Separate configuration for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and routing tables.
• Dynamic Routing Protocols: Separate dynamic routing protocols for IPv4 and IPv6 sections of the router.
• Flexibility: Devices can be configured with IPv4, IPv6, or both addresses simultaneously.

IPv6 Broadcast and Multicast

• Broadcast Removal: IPv6 does not use broadcasts; replaced by multicast protocols.
• Neighbor Solicitation (NS): Specialized multicast protocol replacing the traditional Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).
  • Process: Device sends NS to multicast address; matching devices respond with Neighbor Advertisement (NA).

Stateless Address Auto-Configuration (SLAAC)

• Definition: Method for devices to automatically configure an IPv6 address without a DHCP server.
• Duplicate Address Detection (DAD): Ensures no duplicate IP addresses are configured.

Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP)

• Purpose: Allows devices to discover other devices and routers on the network.
• Router Solicitation and Advertisement: Devices send Router Solicitation packets to identify routers; routers respond with Router Advertisement.
  • Information Transferred: IPv6 address, prefix information, and prefix length, enabling local devices to configure themselves.