Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Problem with IPv6 subnet assignments/ RFC 4193 issue. (RFC 1918 blocking)

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved IPv6
    11 Posts 5 Posters 1.7k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • JKnottJ
      JKnott
      last edited by

      RFC 4193 addresses are unique local, not link local and are the IPv6 equivalent of RFC 1918 IPv4 addresses.  Unique local, like RFC 1918 addresses are not supposed to be passed over the Internet, but are routeable locally.  If you've got those from your modem, there's a problem somewhere.  Link local addresses (FE80::/64) are often used by routers and other devices.

      PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
      i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
      UniFi AC-Lite access point

      I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • K
        kpa
        last edited by

        @JKnott:

        Link local addresses (FE80::/64) are often used by routers and other devices.

        Correction, link-local addresses are a mandatory part of IPv6 operation.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • JKnottJ
          JKnott
          last edited by

          Yep, I know they're mandatory, but not typically used.  However, routers certainly use them, as does Windows Home Group network.  Most other traffic is via unicast or multicast addresses.  In fact, for most things to use a link local address, you have to specify the interface, yet that's something browsers don't like to support.  So, a router will advertise itself to the all nodes multicast address from it's link local address.  Also, the router link local address is generally not based on the MAC address.  For example, pfSense uses fe80::1:1.

          PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
          i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
          UniFi AC-Lite access point

          I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • B
            bimmerdriver
            last edited by

            @JKnott:

            Yep, I know they're mandatory, but not typically used.  However, routers certainly use them, as does Windows Home Group network.  Most other traffic is via unicast or multicast addresses.  In fact, for most things to use a link local address, you have to specify the interface, yet that's something browsers don't like to support.  So, a router will advertise itself to the all nodes multicast address from it's link local address.  Also, the router link local address is generally not based on the MAC address.  For example, pfSense uses fe80::1:1.

            According to interface status on my systems, the addresses pfsense has for the ISP edge router and for pfsense itself are link local. My systems are configured to block reserved addresses on the wan but not the lan.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • johnpozJ
              johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
              last edited by

              So your ISP is broken?  Why would they be using ULA address space in such a manner??

              "but if RFC 4193 addresses are blocked, successive subnets will not get their unique /64 delegations. "

              This makes zero sense!!

              An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
              If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
              Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
              SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • JKnottJ
                JKnott
                last edited by

                According to interface status on my systems, the addresses pfsense has for the ISP edge router and for pfsense itself are link local.

                As is mine.  As I mentioned, routers normally use link local addresses.  However, a link local address is not an RFC 4193 address.

                PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                UniFi AC-Lite access point

                I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • B
                  bimmerdriver
                  last edited by

                  @JKnott:

                  According to interface status on my systems, the addresses pfsense has for the ISP edge router and for pfsense itself are link local.

                  As is mine.  As I mentioned, routers normally use link local addresses.  However, a link local address is not an RFC 4193 address.

                  When you said, "Yep, I know they're mandatory, but not typically used", I thought you were referring to link-local addresses. If that's not what you meant, then disregard my comment.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • JKnottJ
                    JKnott
                    last edited by

                    I was referring to link local addresses.  While they're commonly used for routers and Windows Home Group networks, they tend not to be used for other purposes, as they are more difficult to use, due to the need to specify the interface, than with other addresses.  With browsers, for example, you can't even specify the interface, as you could on a command line.  Normally, the destination unicast address contains enough info to determine which interface is used.

                    PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                    i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                    UniFi AC-Lite access point

                    I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • B
                      bimmerdriver
                      last edited by

                      @JKnott:

                      I was referring to link local addresses.  While they're commonly used for routers and Windows Home Group networks, they tend not to be used for other purposes, as they are more difficult to use, due to the need to specify the interface, than with other addresses.  With browsers, for example, you can't even specify the interface, as you could on a command line.  Normally, the destination unicast address contains enough info to determine which interface is used.

                      Well, if that's what you think, you are incorrect. Every interface connected to an ipv6 network has an associated link local address, so it's more correct to say that link local addresses are the most common type of ipv6 address. They are set up automatically when a node initially connects to an ipv6 network.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • JKnottJ
                        JKnott
                        last edited by

                        Yes, I know every interface has a link local address.  No doubt about it.  My point is that it's not used for most things.  Routers advertise the link local address and other devices use that link local address for the default route.  But you can't use browsers with a link local address and you have to specify the interface for everything else, as a given link local address could be on any interface, as there is nothing in the link local address to indicate which interface is used.  For example, I just pinged my firewall.  When I used the global unicast address, I could just ping it.  But to ping the link local address, I had to specify the interface that connected to the firewall, even though there is only one network interface in this computer. i.e. ping6 -I eth0…

                        So, yes, you could do something like use ssh to connect to a link local address, but why bother, if you have another unicast address, where you don't have to specify the interface?

                        Regardless, this has gone beyond the original question, where the OP confused link local addresses with unique local addresses.

                        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_local_address

                        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link-local_address#IPv6

                        PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                        i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                        UniFi AC-Lite access point

                        I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • First post
                          Last post
                        Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.