What Is My IPv6 Address?
Use this page to quickly find your public IPv6 address. If you have ever asked "what is my IPv6 address" while troubleshooting a VPN, checking dual-stack connectivity, or verifying your ISP's IPv6 deployment, this tool shows exactly what your network exposes to the outside world. IPv6 is the newer internet protocol that provides a vastly larger address space and improved routing for modern networks.
Your IPv6 Address
No IPv6 address detected on this connection.
How to Check Your IPv6 Address
This page shows your public IPv6 address — the one external servers see. You can also check it directly on your device:
Windows
Open Command Prompt and run:
ipconfigLook for IPv6 Address under your active network adapter. This shows your local IPv6 — the public one may differ if your router uses prefix delegation.
macOS / Linux
Open Terminal and run:
ifconfig | grep inet6This lists all IPv6 addresses on your interfaces. Addresses starting with fe80:: are link-local (not routable). Your public IPv6 starts with a global unicast prefix such as 2001: or 2a00:.
Router / ISP
Log in to your router admin panel and check the WAN settings for an IPv6 address. If you do not see one, your ISP may not yet provide IPv6 — contact them to confirm. Many ISPs assign a /64 or /56 prefix that your router then distributes to devices.
What If No IPv6 Is Detected?
If this page shows no IPv6 address, the most common reasons are:
- Your ISP does not yet provide IPv6 connectivity.
- Your router has IPv6 disabled or does not support it.
- You are connected through a VPN that tunnels only IPv4 traffic.
- Your corporate or mobile network blocks IPv6 at the gateway.
To enable IPv6, check your router settings for an IPv6 section and set it to Auto or DHCPv6. If the option is missing, your router firmware or your ISP plan may not support it.
What Is IPv6?
IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is the latest version of the Internet Protocol, designed to replace IPv4. While IPv4 provides approximately 4.3 billion addresses (2³²), IPv6 offers 340 undecillion addresses (2¹²⁸) — enough to assign unique addresses to every device on the planet many times over.
IPv6 addresses are written as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons, for example 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. Leading zeros in each group and consecutive groups of zeros can be shortened. The same address can also be written as 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334.
IPv6 also introduces improvements beyond address space: simplified packet headers for faster routing, built-in IPsec support for encryption, elimination of NAT for true end-to-end connectivity, and multicast as a native feature.
IPv4 vs IPv6 Comparison
Understanding the differences between IPv4 and IPv6 helps explain why IPv6 adoption matters. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two protocols:
| Feature | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| Address Length | 32-bit | 128-bit |
| Total Addresses | ~4.3 billion | ~340 undecillion |
| Format | Dotted decimal (192.168.1.1) | Hexadecimal with colons (2001:db8::1) |
| NAT Required | Yes (address scarcity) | No (enough addresses for all devices) |
| Header Complexity | Variable length, 12+ fields | Fixed length, 8 fields (faster processing) |
| IPsec Support | Optional | Built-in (mandatory to implement) |
| Broadcast | Yes | Replaced by multicast/anycast |
| Auto-configuration | DHCP only | SLAAC + DHCPv6 |
IPv6 and Privacy
IPv6 addresses can include your device's MAC address (in the EUI-64 format), which raises privacy concerns since your hardware identity could be embedded in your IP address. Modern operating systems address this with IPv6 Privacy Extensions (RFC 4941), which generate temporary, randomized addresses that change periodically.
On Windows, macOS, and most Linux distributions, privacy extensions are enabled by default. The temporary address is used for outgoing connections while the stable address handles incoming traffic. Use this page to verify which address your device is currently exposing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my IPv6 address?
Your IPv6 address is the unique identifier assigned to your device on the internet using the newer IPv6 protocol. This page detects and displays the public IPv6 address that external servers see when your device connects to the internet. If your connection supports IPv6, the address will appear above. If no address is shown, your connection may be IPv4-only.
Do I need IPv6?
IPv6 is the next-generation internet protocol and is becoming increasingly common. Most modern devices and ISPs support it. You do not strictly need it today — IPv4 still works fine for browsing — but IPv6 adoption is growing and some services prioritize it. If your connection has an IPv6 address, your device will often prefer it automatically. Checking your IPv6 address helps confirm whether your network supports the newer protocol.
Why is no IPv6 address detected?
Not all ISPs assign public IPv6 addresses. If no IPv6 address appears, it likely means your connection is IPv4-only, your router does not forward IPv6, or a VPN is forcing IPv4 traffic. Some corporate or mobile networks also disable IPv6 at the gateway level. You can enable IPv6 on your router settings or contact your ISP to confirm whether they provide IPv6 connectivity.
How do I check my IPv6 address on Windows?
Open Command Prompt and run "ipconfig". Look for the "IPv6 Address" line under your active network adapter. Alternatively, open Settings → Network & Internet → your connection → Properties, and look for the IPv6 address listed there. This shows your local IPv6 address. To see your public IPv6 as websites see it, use this page.
How do I check my IPv6 address on Mac?
Open Terminal and run "ifconfig | grep inet6" to list all IPv6 addresses. For your public IPv6 as routed over the internet, use this page — it reads the address from your actual request headers, which is what external servers see.
Is IPv6 faster than IPv4?
IPv6 can be marginally faster in some cases because it removes the need for NAT (Network Address Translation), which adds a processing step in IPv4 routing. In practice, the difference is usually negligible for most users. IPv6 shines in large-scale networks and reduces complexity for ISPs routing millions of addresses. For everyday use, speed depends more on your ISP, distance to servers, and network conditions than on the protocol version.
Can a VPN hide my IPv6 address?
Most VPNs tunnel IPv4 traffic but may leak your real IPv6 address if not configured correctly — this is called an IPv6 leak. A well-configured VPN either blocks IPv6 entirely or routes it through the tunnel. Use this page while connected to your VPN to verify whether your real IPv6 address is hidden. If the address shown matches your real ISP assignment rather than the VPN server, your VPN has an IPv6 leak.