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    What If ISP can only provide a /64

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved IPv6
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    • Bob.DigB
      Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @GrumpyOldCoalMiner
      last edited by

      @grumpyoldcoalminer Pretty much. You could try NPt but it has some limitations.

      RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • RobbieTTR
        RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
        last edited by

        @bob-dig
        Why would that be the case - a /64 is a massive address space [insert random figure from Google]?

        There should be no issue assigning IPv6 addresses across multiple interfaces, subnets, VLANs to your heart's content.

        ☕️

        Bob.DigB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Bob.DigB
          Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
          last edited by Bob.Dig

          @robbiett /64 is the smallest you could use, to the most part, so it is only good for one LAN, which could be huge but still, only one. Evey interface needs its own /64.

          RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • RobbieTTR
            RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
            last edited by

            @bob-dig I'm still confused. The /64 refers to the first part of the 128-bit address (half in this example) aka 'the prefix'. The rest of it can be farmed-out as you like.

            pfSense has no issue in doing this, using the first part as the prefix and then allowing you to subnet the rest, usually adding a simple addition after the prefix address to signify which address range belongs on any given interface. In my case a ':1' for management, ':2' for main LAN, ':3' for first VLAN etc.

            ☕️

            RobbieTTR M 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • RobbieTTR
              RobbieTT @RobbieTT
              last edited by

              An example from a VLAN on my home network (plus the handy hints from pfSense):

               2023-04-29 at 10.37.11.png

              ☕️

              Bob.DigB 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Bob.DigB
                Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                last edited by Bob.Dig

                @robbiett But you got more then one /64 from your ISP, that is the point. Maybe you got a /56 or what not, which is more than only one /64.

                RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Bob.DigB
                  Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                  last edited by

                  @robbiett Also I don't think that you have active subrouters, do you? I think this only can be used with a fixed prefix and not a dynamic one, which would be another limitation on pfSense side regarding dynamic IPv6.

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                  • RobbieTTR
                    RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
                    last edited by

                    @bob-dig

                    The point is that you can subnet a /64. It is massive (in the scheme of what we have in IPv4 land). You just subnet it into a range, effectively identify it as a given subnet by adding an identifier (a :2 in the example above) and assign that address space to an interface / LAN / VLAN etc.

                    ☕️

                    Bob.DigB johnpozJ 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • Bob.DigB
                      Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                      last edited by Bob.Dig

                      @robbiett You can do that but this will not work without problems because of that:

                      In IPv6, the address space is deemed large enough for the foreseeable future, and a local area subnet always uses 64 bits for the host portion of the address, designated as the interface identifier, while the most-significant 64 bits are used as the routing prefix.

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6#Addressing

                      You screen does show something different anyways, because there the prefix is a /64 and not less. The field below isn't used because I bet you don't have any subrouters.

                      RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • G
                        GrumpyOldCoalMiner
                        last edited by

                        Thanks, helpful discussion. So far.

                        I was (still am) confused because after setting up one LAN interface to "Track Interface" and point to the one and only WAN interface to use for tracking I get usable IPv6 addresses on hosts on that LAN.

                        But when trying to configure this same thing (Track Interface) on a interface for LAN #2 a message says can't do that, WAN interface already used for tracking on WAN1. I don't have exact message in front of me, that's me going from memory form a few days ago.

                        Bob.DigB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • Bob.DigB
                          Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @GrumpyOldCoalMiner
                          last edited by Bob.Dig

                          @grumpyoldcoalminer Because one /64 is only good for one LAN. So this is expected behavior. Check with your ISP if they really only give out a /64. You have to put in the real delegation size manually on the WAN-page yourself with pfSense.

                          Mine is giving me a /56 which the first router (Fritzbox) will take some off so I configured pfSense to only demand a /60.
                          Screenshot 2023-04-29 at 12-21-06 pfSense.home.arpa - Interfaces WAN (hn0.222).png

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                          • RobbieTTR
                            RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
                            last edited by

                            @bob-dig
                            This is my home example (it's Saturday!), so no sub-routers needed.

                            The only thing notable about a /64 is that most (all?) auto-configurations do not subnet below a /64. You can actually subnet all the way down to tiny subnets. For example, you could subnet down to say a /124, giving you just 16 IPv6 addresses for that LAN/VLAN.

                            There are many subnet calculators out there that give you all the options if you want to get really wacky.

                            ☕️

                            Bob.DigB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Bob.DigB
                              Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                              last edited by Bob.Dig

                              @robbiett said in What If ISP can only provide a /64:

                              There are many subnet calculators out there that give you all the options if you want to get really wacky.

                              True, but there are many devices that will not work with a subnets smaller than /64, so it is no good advise. But sure, try for yourself, if it would work for you, but you can't and shouldn't count on this at all.

                              RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • RobbieTTR
                                RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
                                last edited by

                                @bob-dig

                                The IETF didn't really imagine that an ISP would be as stingy as handing out a /64, expecting /56 or a /48 address space to be commonplace. Things didn't work out that way but the /64 address space is still massive and I've not run into a case where a client cared about its address space.

                                Bob.DigB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • Bob.DigB
                                  Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                                  last edited by Bob.Dig

                                  @robbiett I once had such an ISP and I tried splitting up the /64. If I remember correct, my dell printer and my android phone didn't liked it, Windows and Linux were fine though. 😁

                                  RobbieTTR 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • RobbieTTR
                                    RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
                                    last edited by

                                    @bob-dig Yeah, some ISPs are just mean. Yours is the first example I have heard of a device rejecting its subnet. That's some really bad coding!

                                    For the OP the Negate manual has some words on the subject and the address ranges possible:

                                    The prefix length denotes how many bits of the address define the network in which it exists. Most commonly the prefixes used with IPv6 are multiples of four, as seen in Table IPv6 Subnet Table, but they can be any number between 0 and 128.

                                    Netgate Docs - IPv6 Subnetting

                                    ☕️

                                    Bob.DigB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • Bob.DigB
                                      Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                                      last edited by

                                      @robbiett At this time, everything not being /64 is just wrong. And with dynamic prefixes via track interface you also can't go below /64, even in pfSense.

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • RobbieTTR
                                        RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
                                        last edited by

                                        @bob-dig said in What If ISP can only provide a /64:

                                        @robbiett ...my android phone didn't liked it, Windows and Linux were fine though. 😁

                                        Just thinking about the Android bit and I guess this would be due to Android pretending that DHCPv6 does not exist?

                                        ☕️

                                        Bob.DigB JKnottJ 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • Bob.DigB
                                          Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @RobbieTT
                                          last edited by

                                          @robbiett Would make sense, but I don't think that was the case with the printer. And I am just a home user...

                                          RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • RobbieTTR
                                            RobbieTT @Bob.Dig
                                            last edited by

                                            @bob-dig
                                            Clearly I don't know about the printer specifics; but If I had to guess (and it is a guess) it could be its inbuilt NIC not handling privacy or assigned addresses and is reliant on the 48-bit MAC derived address and that the subnet defined had crossed into the MAC address space.

                                            Of course, in all things networking there is always one-more-way to screw something up. 😅

                                            Anyway, we should beat-up ISPs that don't give a static /48 (or /56 at least) address block to their customers. I'm in the UK and even the 'managed' monopoly of BT gives a /56 away (and they would eat your first-born if you let them).

                                            ☕️

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