What is my IPv6 address?

IPv6 is the newer version of the Internet Protocol. If your provider and router support it, your connection has an IPv6 address alongside your IPv4 one, and websites use whichever version they support.

Why don't I have an IPv6 address?

Usually because your internet provider or your router doesn't offer it yet. Some providers support IPv6 but leave it switched off in the router by default. A few VPNs also block IPv6 on purpose so it can't reveal your real address. None of this slows down normal browsing, because every website still works over IPv4.

How to turn on IPv6

1. Check with your provider that they support IPv6 on your plan.
2. Open your router's admin page (often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1).
3. Look for an IPv6 or WAN setting and enable it. The connection type your provider needs is often called "Native" or "DHCPv6".
4. Restart the router, then reload this page.

Is IPv6 safe and private?

IPv6 is as safe as IPv4, and routers filter it the same way. One difference: because there are so many IPv6 addresses, a device can get its own public address instead of sharing one. To avoid being tracked by that address, phones and computers use privacy extensions that change part of it regularly.

Reading an IPv6 address

An IPv6 address is eight groups of letters and numbers separated by colons. Leading zeros can be dropped, and one run of all-zero groups can be shortened to ::. Our IP converter shows the full and short forms of any address, and IPv4 vs IPv6 explains the differences.