IPv6 Test
An IPv6 test checks whether your internet connection supports IPv6 by attempting dual-stack connectivity and displaying both your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
The tool makes parallel requests to IPv4-only and IPv6-only endpoints. If both succeed, your connection is dual-stack. If only the IPv4 request succeeds, your ISP has not enabled IPv6. Results display your detected IPv4 address, your IPv6 address if available, and the connectivity status for each protocol.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have IPv6?
Visit whatismyip.technology/tools/ipv6-test. The tool attempts to connect via both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously. If both succeed, you have dual-stack connectivity. If only IPv4 works, your ISP has not yet enabled IPv6 for your connection.
Why does IPv6 matter?
IPv4 addresses ran out in 2011. IPv6 provides 340 undecillion addresses, effectively eliminating address scarcity. More importantly, IPv6 connectivity is increasingly required for accessing modern infrastructure and can affect connection speed and routing.
What is dual-stack networking?
Dual-stack means your device and network support both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously. Most modern operating systems and ISPs support dual-stack. Your device will prefer IPv6 when available due to the Happy Eyeballs algorithm.
Can my IPv6 address be used to track me?
Yes. Unlike IPv4 where many users share one IP via NAT, IPv6 often gives devices a unique, stable global address. This makes per-device tracking easier. Many ISPs now provide temporary IPv6 addresses that rotate to mitigate this.
IPv6 Test
Do you have IPv6 connectivity?
Check whether your connection supports IPv6. See both your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Around 40% of internet users now have IPv6 but most don't know it.
This test uses api6.ipify.org, an IPv6-only endpoint. If your connection can reach it, you have IPv6. If the request times out, you don't.
What's the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 has been around since 1983. It uses 32-bit addresses like 192.168.1.1, which gives you about 4.3 billion possible addresses. Sounds like a lot until you realize there are 8 billion people on Earth and most of us have multiple devices.
IPv6 fixes this with 128-bit addresses. We're talking 340 undecillion addresses. Every device on Earth could have trillions of addresses and we'd barely make a dent. IPv6 addresses look like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334.
From a privacy angle, IPv6 can sometimes be more revealing. Since ISPs allocate IPv6 blocks in tighter geographic ranges, your IPv6 address may narrow down your location more precisely than IPv4.
Do you need IPv6?
For most people, no. IPv4 still works fine. But for developers, sysadmins, and anyone running servers, IPv6 is increasingly important. Major services like Google, Facebook, and Cloudflare serve traffic over IPv6. Some ISPs in parts of Asia and Europe are rolling out IPv6-only plans.
If your VPN is active and you're seeing an IPv6 address from a different country than expected, that's working correctly. If you see your real IPv6 while your VPN shows a different IPv4, you have an IPv6 leak. Use the VPN Leak Test to check.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my VPN show IPv4 but I have an IPv6 address?
Many VPNs only tunnel IPv4 traffic and leave IPv6 unprotected. This is called an IPv6 leak. Your real IPv6 goes out directly while IPv4 goes through the VPN. Run the VPN Leak Test to confirm.
How do I get IPv6?
Ask your ISP if they support it. Most modern routers handle IPv6 automatically if the ISP provides it. If you're on mobile, many carriers have been IPv6 for years already.
Can websites see both my IPv4 and IPv6?
Yes. A website sees whichever address you connect from. If you have both, your OS typically prefers IPv6 when connecting to IPv6-capable sites, which most major ones are now.