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To use IPv6 reliably on a Linux VPS, configure the network in three layers: obtain an IPv6 address and route from the provider, persist them with your distribution’s network manager, and make each client or server explicitly use an IPv6 socket when needed. An address shown by Linux is not enough; the host also needs a working default IPv6 route, DNS that publishes an AAAA record, a service listening on IPv6, and an IPv6 firewall rule that permits the traffic.
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Keep an existing SSH session and your provider’s out-of-band console open while changing network settings. The commands below let you inspect the current state, choose static, SLAAC, or DHCPv6 assignment, force curl and SSH to one address family, and diagnose the common case where IPv4 works but IPv6 does not.
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What must be in place before you configure Linux
IPv6 configuration starts with the VPS provider, not with curl or a package installation. Request the exact IPv6 address or prefix assigned to the server, the gateway or next hop, and the interface name that should carry the address. Providers can route a single address, a subnet, or a delegated prefix in different ways, so do not infer the gateway from an example found for another host.
Distribution releases also differ. OVHcloud documentation, for example, separates procedures for Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.04 or later. Treat the provider’s routing details and the distribution’s network-manager syntax as two parts of one configuration; copying a Debian stanza into an Ubuntu Netplan file can leave the machine unreachable.
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- Record the provider-assigned address or prefix, prefix length, gateway, and interface.
- Identify whether the provider expects static configuration, SLAAC, DHCPv6, or a provider-specific route.
- Open a second SSH connection and the VPS provider’s console before editing networking.
- Schedule a maintenance window if changing the only management route.
Do not treat an IPv6 allocation as proof that the provider has enabled forwarding to the guest. Some services require a separate activation step, a particular next-hop address, or a route entered in the control panel. Confirm those details while you still have console access. Keep the provider’s exact prefix length: entering a broader or narrower prefix changes how Linux decides whether a destination is directly connected.
Inspect addresses, interfaces, and routes
Use iproute2 to establish what the kernel knows before changing anything:
ip link show
ip -6 addr show
ip -6 route showip link show gives the actual interface names; do not assume the interface is called eth0. In ip -6 addr show, look for a global-scope address on the intended interface. An address beginning with fe80:: is link-local and, by itself, does not provide Internet IPv6.
ip -6 route show must contain a usable default route, normally shown as a route beginning with default. A global address without that route can communicate on the local link while failing to reach the public Internet. Check that the route is attached to the same interface that owns the global address and that its gateway matches the provider’s instructions.
Run family-specific tests after inspection:
ping -6 -c 4 example.com
curl -6 https://example.com/Successful ping -6 or curl -6 proves that the host can make an outbound IPv6 connection to that destination. It does not prove that your web server is listening on IPv6 or that inbound firewall rules are correct. Conversely, a failed ping alone is not conclusive if the destination filters ICMPv6; compare it with an HTTPS test.
For DNS, compare the records returned for each family:
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dig AAAA example.com
dig A example.comIf the AAAA query has no answer, the problem is DNS publication rather than Linux socket configuration. A hostname with only an A record will normally be reached over IPv4 even when the VPS itself has IPv6. When both records exist, test each family explicitly so that a successful IPv4 connection does not hide a broken IPv6 path.
Choose an address-assignment method
Use the method specified by the provider. These modes are not interchangeable:
| Mode | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Static IPv6 | You enter the provider’s address, prefix length, and gateway. | Use when the provider assigns fixed values and documents a specific next hop. |
SLAAC (inet6 auto on Debian ifupdown) |
The host learns an address from router advertisements. | Use only when the provider advertises that the VPS network supports router advertisements. |
DHCPv6 (inet6 dhcp on Debian ifupdown) |
A DHCPv6 service supplies addressing information. | Use when the provider explicitly requires DHCPv6. |
A provider may combine an address learned by SLAAC or DHCPv6 with a separately documented route. If the provider gives static values, do not replace them with an automatic mode merely because it is shorter.
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The choice affects persistence and troubleshooting. Static settings are predictable but require every provider value to be correct. SLAAC depends on router advertisements arriving on the VPS network, while DHCPv6 depends on the provider’s DHCPv6 service. If an automatic method produces an address but no default route, return to the provider’s routing instructions rather than repeatedly restarting the client.
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On Debian systems using ifupdown, add the IPv6 stanza to the interface configuration used by that installation. Replace every example value with the provider’s values and the interface name shown by ip link show.
SLAAC
iface eno1 inet6 autoDHCPv6
iface eno1 inet6 dhcpStatic address and gateway
iface eno1 inet6 static
address 2001:db8::c0ca:1eaf/64
gateway 2001:db8::1ead:ed:beefThe 2001:db8::/32 values are documentation addresses, not usable Internet addresses. Substitute the allocation from your provider. Apply the configuration using the Debian networking procedure appropriate to your release, then run ip -6 addr show and ip -6 route show again. Keep the old session or console open until the new default route is confirmed.
Do not edit an ifupdown file if the image is actually managed by Netplan or NetworkManager. First identify which manager owns the interface, then change that manager’s configuration. Two managers attempting to configure the same interface can create duplicate addresses, competing routes, or settings that disappear at the next boot.
Use Netplan or another manager on Ubuntu and other distributions
Ubuntu installations commonly use Netplan, while other images may use NetworkManager or a provider-specific stack. These managers do not read Debian ifupdown stanzas. Enter the address, prefix, and route in the YAML or connection profile required by that manager, following the provider’s documented route syntax, then apply it with that manager’s documented command.
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- Run
ip -6 addr showand confirm a global address on the expected interface. - Run
ip -6 route showand confirm a default IPv6 route through the provider’s gateway. - Run
ping -6 -c 4 example.comandcurl -6 https://example.com/. - Reboot only after those checks pass, then repeat the address, route, and connectivity checks.
If the route disappears after reboot, the live change was not persisted in the network manager that starts during boot. Fix the persistent configuration instead of adding a one-off shell command to a startup script. A startup workaround can run too late for services that bind during boot and can also mask a malformed manager configuration.
Compare Linux network-manager approaches
| Approach | Configuration style | Main pitfall |
|---|---|---|
| Debian ifupdown | Interface stanzas such as inet6 auto, inet6 dhcp, or inet6 static. |
Using the stanza on a host controlled by another manager. |
| Ubuntu Netplan | YAML describing addresses and provider-specific routes. | Copying ifupdown syntax or omitting the provider’s route form. |
| NetworkManager or provider stack | A connection profile managed by the installed service. | Editing a file that the active service never reads. |
The reusable part of the workflow is the validation, not the file format: identify the interface, apply the manager’s configuration, inspect ip -6 addr show and ip -6 route show, test with family-specific clients, and reboot-test persistence.
Force command-line clients to IPv6
curl
curl normally prefers IPv6 when DNS returns an IPv6 address and falls back to IPv4 if the IPv6 connection fails. Use -6 or --ipv6 to test only IPv6, and -4 or --ipv4 to provide an IPv4 control test:
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curl -6 https://example.com/
curl -4 https://example.com/When the URL contains a literal IPv6 address, put the address in square brackets so the colons are not parsed as a port separator:
curl -6 'https://[2001:db8::10]/'The documentation address above is an example. Replace it with a real address and include the correct port when it is not HTTPS’s default. A literal address also bypasses hostname lookup, so it is useful for separating DNS problems from routing or service problems.
SSH
Force the OpenSSH client to resolve and connect using IPv6 with:
ssh -6 [email protected]If this fails while ssh [email protected] succeeds, test the server’s AAAA record, the IPv6 route, the SSH daemon’s IPv6 listener, and the IPv6 firewall path separately. The -6 option does not create an address or route; it only selects the address family for that connection.
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Use verbose curl output to identify whether failure occurs during name resolution, route selection, TCP connection, or TLS:
curl -6v https://example.com/Compare that output with curl -4v. A successful IPv4 control test narrows the fault to the IPv6 path, destination firewall, DNS choice, or service listener.
Make a server listen on IPv6
Outbound tests do not make an inbound service reachable. Configure the daemon to bind an IPv6 address or an IPv6 wildcard, and permit the service port in the IPv6 firewall. Apache and Nginx listener syntax uses bracketed IPv6 addresses; for a specific address, the forms are commonly:
Listen [2001:db8::10]:80listen [2001:db8::10]:80;Use the syntax required by the installed daemon and replace the documentation address. Binding to a specific address limits exposure; binding to an IPv6 wildcard listens on all IPv6 addresses. Decide deliberately which behavior you need.
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Inspect sockets after reloading the daemon:
ss -lnt
ss -lnt6ss -lnt6 should show an IPv6 listening socket on the expected port. If it does not, inspect the daemon’s configuration and reload errors before changing kernel settings. A listener on an IPv4 wildcard alone is not evidence that an IPv6 client can connect.
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Understand dual-stack socket behavior
Linux can represent an IPv4 connection as an IPv4-mapped address on an IPv6 socket. The kernel parameter net.ipv6.bindv6only controls this behavior:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 |
An IPv6 socket may also accept IPv4-mapped connections; this is the documented default. |
1 |
The socket accepts IPv6 only. |
Check the current value before changing it:
sysctl net.ipv6.bindv6onlyIf a daemon opens separate IPv4 and IPv6 sockets, changing this setting can produce an “address already in use” error because the sockets overlap. Confirm the daemon’s own dual-stack design first. Prefer an application-level listener setting when the daemon provides one, and change the kernel value only when the application design requires it.
Persist a narrowly scoped sysctl change
sysctl modifies kernel parameters at runtime. A temporary write is useful for testing but vanishes at reboot:
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv6.bindv6only=1To persist a setting, place only the required parameter in a file under /etc/sysctl.d/, then load system configuration:
printf '%sn' 'net.ipv6.bindv6only=1' | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/60-ipv6-sockets.conf
sudo sysctl --systemReload the affected daemon and verify with ss -lnt and ss -lnt6. Do not change unrelated IPv6 sysctls as a workaround for a missing provider route or firewall rule. Record the reason for a nondefault value so a later daemon migration does not reintroduce an address-overlap failure.
Configure the IPv6 firewall path
IPv4 and IPv6 filtering may use separate rule sets. A port allowed by iptables is not automatically allowed by the IPv6 counterpart, commonly managed with ip6tables or a firewall frontend that maintains both families.
- Permit only the service ports that must be reachable.
- Allow established and related traffic according to your firewall’s normal policy.
- Ensure SSH over IPv6 is allowed before testing a remote IPv6-only management path.
- Review provider-level firewalls or security groups as well as the guest firewall.
Test from a host outside the VPS network. A local listener shown by ss -lnt6 proves binding, not end-to-end reachability; an upstream filter can still drop the packet. Test the exact public address and port named by the AAAA record, not only a loopback address from inside the VPS.
Install missing diagnostic packages
Use the distribution package manager when a command is absent. On Ubuntu, refresh package indexes with:
sudo apt updatePackages commonly needed for this workflow include curl, iproute2, openssh-client, dnsutils, traceroute, and a firewall frontend. Installing one of them cannot allocate an IPv6 prefix or create a provider route; those remain provider and network-manager tasks.
Troubleshoot by isolating one layer at a time
| Symptom | Checks | Most likely layer |
|---|---|---|
| No global IPv6 address | ip -6 addr show; confirm the provider allocation and interface configuration. |
Provider allocation or local interface setup. |
| Address exists but no Internet access | ip -6 route show, then ping -6. |
Missing or incorrect default route or gateway. |
| DNS has no AAAA answer | dig AAAA host.example and compare with dig A host.example. |
DNS publication, not Linux socket configuration. |
curl -6 fails while curl -4 works |
Run curl -6v; inspect the route, IPv6 firewall, destination firewall, and listener. |
IPv6 path or service-side configuration. |
| SSH works only by IPv4 | Run ssh -6; on the server inspect ss -lnt6, the AAAA record, and IPv6 firewall rules. |
sshd listener, firewall, DNS, or route. |
| Address-in-use after adding an IPv6 listener | Check existing sockets and net.ipv6.bindv6only. |
Dual-stack socket overlap. |
When the route looks correct but packets still fail
First test a known external hostname with ping -6, then test HTTPS with curl -6. If both fail, verify the provider’s gateway and any required next-hop syntax. If they succeed but your application fails, the remaining suspects are the application listener, its port, and the IPv6 firewall.
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Check ss -lnt6 for the exact bind address and port, then inspect guest and provider firewalls. Confirm that the hostname’s AAAA record points to the same address. A service bound only to 127.0.0.1 or an IPv4 wildcard will not accept an external IPv6 connection.
A repeatable deployment checklist
- Obtain the provider’s IPv6 address or prefix, gateway, and interface name.
- Keep a second SSH session and out-of-band console available.
- Inspect interfaces, addresses, and routes with
ip link show,ip -6 addr show, andip -6 route show. - Select the provider-supported assignment mode: static, SLAAC, or DHCPv6.
- Persist the configuration in the active network manager, not an unrelated file.
- Verify a global address and default route before rebooting.
- Test independently with
ping -6,curl -6, and, where relevant,ssh -6. - Publish an AAAA record only after the address is stable.
- Configure the daemon’s IPv6 listener and verify it with
ss -lnt6. - Permit the port in IPv6 firewall rules and test from an external network.
- Change
net.ipv6.bindv6onlyonly when the daemon’s socket design requires it, then persist and retest the setting. - Reboot during the maintenance window and repeat address, route, listener, and external-connectivity checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I force curl to use IPv6 on a VPS?
Use curl -6 URL or curl --ipv6 URL. Compare it with curl -4 URL to determine whether only the IPv6 path is failing. For a literal address, use brackets, such as curl -6 'https://[2001:db8::10]/'.
How do I force SSH to use IPv6?
Run ssh -6 [email protected]. If it fails while ordinary SSH works, check the hostname’s AAAA record, the client’s default IPv6 route, the server’s ss -lnt6 output, and IPv6 firewall rules.
Why does ping work but my web server is unreachable over IPv6?
Outbound ping does not test inbound service access. Confirm that the daemon listens on IPv6 with ss -lnt6, that the AAAA record points to the same address, and that both guest and provider IPv6 firewalls allow the service port.
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Why does an IPv6 address not provide Internet access?
A global address still needs a usable default route. Run ip -6 route show and verify the provider’s gateway or next hop. A lone fe80::/10 link-local address is not public Internet connectivity.
Which IPv6 method should I choose: static, SLAAC, or DHCPv6?
Choose the mode documented by your provider. Static configuration uses the assigned address, prefix, and gateway; SLAAC requires router advertisements; DHCPv6 requires the provider’s DHCPv6 service. Do not substitute one mode for another because its syntax is shorter.
How do I keep the IPv6 route after reboot?
Save the address and route in the network manager that controls the interface, such as Debian ifupdown or Ubuntu Netplan. Verify the live state, reboot during a maintenance window, and run ip -6 addr show and ip -6 route show again.
What does net.ipv6.bindv6only do?
With value 0, an IPv6 socket may accept IPv4-mapped connections; with value 1, it accepts IPv6 only. The documented default is 0. Check existing sockets before changing it because separate IPv4 and IPv6 listeners can overlap.
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Reliable VPS IPv6 is a chain: provider allocation and route, persistent distribution-specific configuration, family-specific client tests, an IPv6 listener, DNS AAAA publication, and firewall rules for the IPv6 path. Verify each link with ip -6, curl -6, ssh -6, and ss -lnt6 before and after a reboot.
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