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Server

Is there any good reason not to use IPv4 only within a local network?

not2savvy

1/25/23, 4:59 PM

We have a small office with maybe 10-20 devices connected to our local network (LAN). We are running an internal DNS for resolving local network domains. The DNS has been configured with only IPv4 addresses, because it was easier to set up like this, and there seems to be no reason to use IPv6 addresses for our local network devices. None of the devices needs to be reached from outside (WAN).

Am I overlooking any good reason to use IPv6 within the local network?

Note that this question seems to be a duplicate of Why would you use IPv6 internally? only at the first glance. My question is about using IPv4 internally, while the other question discusses NAT etc. which doesn't apply here.

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networking

ipv6

Michael Hampton

1/25/23, 8:11 PM

I think you've got the question backwards. Do you even have a reason to use IPv4 at all? Why isn't everything IPv6? It's much easier to work with and solves a wide variety of problems with IPv4.

not2savvy

1/25/23, 8:32 PM

@MichaelHampton Well, as stated in my question: „because it was easier to set up like this“. This may be due to my limited knowledge about IPv6 configuration, yet that’s a valid reason in my eyes.

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Server

vidarlo

1/25/23, 5:10 PM

None of the devices needs to be reached from outside (WAN).

Yet.

Some day you merge with a different company, who also uses the 10.0.1.0/24 block, and they want to integrate your network with theirs. Things turn ugly, and everyone asks why RFC1918-addresses were used.

The IPv6 ULA is big enough that you can pick a range, and be reasonably sure that noone else will use the same range, if you pick a random /64 or four.

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not2savvy

1/25/23, 5:16 PM

Why could this a problem beyond just exchanging the IP addresses in the local DNS?

vidarlo

1/25/23, 6:12 PM

Because that day you suddenly have multiple networks which is statically configured in various routers and devices, and you spend a week readdressing stuff. Of course, *if* you do everything by the book *always* it won't be a problem. But that's unlikely to happen; people will take some short cuts, documentation won't be perfect and so on.

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Abu Zaid

1/25/23, 5:10 PM

In your case, there is no practical benefit to use IPV6. IPV4 will serve all your requirements.

However, if you want to be ready for future ahead of time, you can play with IPV6. But it may be another decade or two when IPV6 becomes more prevalent.

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Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Is there any good reason not to use IPv4 only within a local network?

TH: มีเหตุผลที่ดีที่จะไม่ใช้ IPv4 เฉพาะภายในเครือข่ายท้องถิ่นหรือไม่

RO: Există vreun motiv întemeiat pentru a nu folosi IPv4 numai într-o rețea locală?

RU: Есть ли веская причина не использовать IPv4 только в локальной сети?

VI: Có lý do chính đáng nào để không chỉ sử dụng IPv4 trong mạng cục bộ không?

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