--- title: "Configuring IPv6 on dedicated servers" description: "Find out how to configure IPv6 addresses on our infrastructure" url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6 lang: en lastUpdated: 2026-06-18 --- # Configuring IPv6 on dedicated servers ## Objective Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP). It is designed to address the long-anticipated address exhaustion of its predecessor, IPv4, by using 128-bit addresses instead of 32-bit addresses. Most OVHcloud dedicated servers are delivered with a /64 IPv6 block, with the exception of High Grade and Scale servers, which are delivered with a /56 IPv6 block. This represents over 18 quintillion IP addresses that you can use at your convenience. **This guide explains how to configure IPv6 addresses on your server using various examples.** :::info This article is about primary IP configuration. For servers that support vRack connectivity, you can also configure Additional IP addresses in a vRack rather than on the public interface of your server. You can find the matching instructions in these guides: - IPv4: [Configuring an IP block in a vRack](/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/configuring-an-ip-block-in-a-vrack.md). - IPv6: [Configuring an IPv6 block in a vRack](/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/configure-ipv6-in-vrack.md). ::: :::warning OVHcloud is providing you with services for which you are responsible, with regard to their configuration and management. You are therefore responsible for ensuring they function correctly. This guide is designed to assist you in common tasks as much as possible. Nevertheless, we recommend that you contact a [specialist service provider](https://partner.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/directory/) and/or discuss the issue with [our community](https://community.ovhcloud.com/) if you face difficulties or doubts concerning the administration, usage or implementation of services on a server. ::: ## Requirements - A [dedicated server](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/bare-metal/) in your OVHcloud account - All your IPv6 information (prefix, gateway etc.) - Basic knowledge of [SSH](/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/ssh-introduction.md) and networking *** ### OVHcloud Control Panel Access - **Direct link:** Dedicated Servers - **Navigation path:** Bare Metal Cloud > Dedicated servers > Select your server *** :::warning Please note that Kimsufi servers are only provided with a single IPv6 block (/128). IPv6 will be configured automatically when installing the OS. ::: ## Instructions The following sections contain configurations for the distributions we currently offer and the most commonly used distributions/operating systems. The first step is always to log in to your server via SSH or a GUI login session (RDP for a Windows server). On dedicated servers, the first IPv6 is declared as 2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::. For example, if we've assigned your server the IPv6 range: `2607:5300:abcd:efgh::/64`, your server's first IPv6 is: `2607:5300:abcd:efgh::`. By default, the first IPv6 is configured on most of the recent Linux distributions we offer for installation, so the gateway is already included in the configuration file. In most cases, you won't need to add it again manually. Note the following terminology used in the code examples and instructions below: | Term | Description | Example | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | YOUR\_IPV6 | An IPv6 address from the IPv6 block assigned to your server | 2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::1 | | IPv6\_PREFIX | The prefix (or _netmask_) of your IPv6 block, usually 64 | 2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/64 | | IPv6\_GATEWAY | The gateway of your IPv6 block | 2607:5300:xxxx:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff or fe80::1 | In our examples, we'll use the `nano` text editor. Feel free to use the text editor of your choice. ### Default Gateway The first step is to identify the IPv6 block and gateway assigned to your server. **Via the OVHcloud Control Panel** The IPv6 block and gateway assigned to your server will appear in the `Network` section of the General Information tab. Once you have copied them, continue with applying the IPv6 configuration. ![configureipv6](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_information.png) **Via the OVHcloud API** Another way to retrieve the networking information for your server is to [use the OVHcloud API](/en/guides/manage-and-operate/api/first-steps.md). Execute the following API call, indicating the internal server name (example: `ns3956771.ip-169-254-10.eu`): 🇪🇺EU▾ [GET/dedicated/server/{serviceName}/specifications/network](https://eu.api.ovh.com/console/?section=/dedicated/server&branch=v1#get-/dedicated/server/-serviceName-/specifications/network) The leading "0s" can be removed in an IPv6 gateway. For example, the IPv6 gateway `2607:5300:60:62ff:00ff:00ff:00ff:00ff` can also be written as `2607:5300:60:62ff:ff:ff:ff:ff`. :::warning Before modifying a configuration file, always create a backup of the original. ::: :::info With some operating systems, the addition of static IPv6 routes in the original configuration file is necessary and is done by default. If that is the case, add your IPv6 configuration as instructed, do not modify any lines in the original file. ::: **Debian and derivatives (excluding Debian 12)** The configuration example below is based on Debian 11 (Bullseye). :::warning Before following the steps below, we strongly suggest that you disable IPv6 autoconf and router advertising to prevent known issues. You can do so by adding the following lines to your `sysctl.conf` file, which is located in `/etc/sysctl.conf`: `net.ipv6.conf.all.autoconf=0` `net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_ra=0` Once this has been done, you can apply those rules by executing the following command: `sudo sysctl -p`. ::: **Step 1: Connect to your server via SSH** ```sh ssh user@serverIP ``` **Step 2: Create a backup** Your server's network configuration file is located in `/etc/network/interfaces.d`. In our example, it is called `50-cloud-init`. Before proceeding, create a backup of your file using the following command: ```sh sudo cp /etc/network/interfaces.d/50-cloud-init /etc/network/interfaces.d/50-cloud-init.bak ``` **Step 3: Amend the network configuration file** Do not modify the existing lines in the configuration file. Add the lines for your IPv6 configuration, replacing `YOUR_IPv6` and `IPv6_PREFIX` with your own values. In this example, the network interface is called `eth0`. The interface on your server may differ. ```console auto eth0 iface eth0 inet dhcp accept_ra 0 iface eth0 inet6 static address YOUR_IPv6 netmask IPv6_PREFIX # control-alias eth0 iface eth0 inet6 static address 2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx dns-nameservers 2001:41d0:3:163::1 gateway 2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` **Debian 10** ```console iface eth0 inet6 static address YOUR_IPv6 netmask 64 post-up /sbin/ip -f inet6 route add IPv6_GATEWAY dev eth0 post-up /sbin/ip -f inet6 route add default via IPv6_GATEWAY pre-down /sbin/ip -f inet6 route del IPv6_GATEWAY dev eth0 pre-down /sbin/ip -f inet6 route del default via IPv6_GATEWAY ``` Additional IPv6 addresses can be added with the following lines in the configuration file: `up ip -6 addr add ADDITIONAL_IPV6_1/IPv6_PREFIX dev eth0`, `up ip -6 addr add ADDITIONAL_IPV6_2/IPv6_PREFIX dev eth0` etc... To ensure that the IPv6 is enabled or disabled whenever the eth0 interface is enabled or disabled, you need to add the following line to the configuration: `down ip -6 addr del ADDITIONAL_IPV6_1/IPv6_PREFIX dev eth0`
`down ip -6 addr del ADDITIONAL_IPV6_2/IPv6_PREFIX dev eth0` Configuration example ```console auto eth0 iface eth0 inet dhcp accept_ra 0 iface eth0 inet6 static address 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1 netmask 64 # control-alias eth0 iface eth0 inet6 static address 2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx dns-nameservers 2001:41d0:3:163::1 gateway 2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` - Adding additional IPv6 addresses: ```console auto eth0 iface eth0 inet dhcp accept_ra 0 iface eth0 inet6 static address 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1 netmask 64 up ip -6 addr add 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::2/64 dev eth0 up ip -6 addr add 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::3/64 dev eth0 down ip -6 addr del 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::2/64 dev eth0 down ip -6 addr del 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::3/64 dev eth0 # control-alias eth0 iface eth0 inet6 static address 2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx dns-nameservers 2001:41d0:3:163::1 gateway 2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` **Step 4: Save the file and apply the changes** Save your changes to the file and then restart the network or reboot your server to apply the changes. ```sh sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart ``` **Fedora 42+, AlmaLinux & Rocky Linux (10)** The configuration example below is based on Fedora 42. Fedora now uses keyfiles. NetworkManager previously stored network profiles in ifcfg format in this directory: `/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/`. However, the ifcfg format is now deprecated. By default, NetworkManager no longer creates new profiles in this format. The configuration file is now found in `/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/`. In this example, our file is called `cloud-init-eno1.nmconnection`. **Step 1: Use SSH to connect to your server** ```sh ssh user@serverIP ``` **Step 2: Create a backup** :::info Note that the name of the network file in our example may differ from your own. Please adjust to your appropriate name. ::: First, make a copy of the configuration file, so that you can revert at any time: ```sh sudo cp -r /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/cloud-init-eno1.nmconnection /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/cloud-init-eno1.nmconnection.bak ``` **Step 3: Amend the network configuration file** Amend the file by adding the necessary lines to it, do not modify anything in the original file. Replace the generic elements (i.e. `YOUR_IPV6` and `IPv6_PREFIX`) with your specific values. Also, we have omitted the IPv4 configuration to avoid confusion, but the IPv6 configuration is made in the same configuration file. ```console [ipv6] method=manual may-fail=false address1=2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx address2=YOUR_IPV6/IPv6_PREFIX gateway=2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` If you need to configure more IPv6 addresses, your configuration should look like this: ```console [ipv6] method=manual may-fail=false address1=2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx address2=ADDITIONAL_IPV6_1/IPv6_PREFIX address3=ADDITIONAL_IPV6_2/IPv6_PREFIX gateway=2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` Configuration example ```sh sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/cloud-init-eno1.nmconnection ``` ```console [ipv6] method=manual may-fail=false address1=2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx address2=2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1/64 gateway=2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` - For multiple IPv6 addresses: ```console [ipv6] method=manual may-fail=false address1=2607:5300:xxxx:xxxx::/xx address2=2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1/64 address3=2607:5300:adce:f2cd::2/64 gateway=2607:5300:xxxx:xxff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` **Step 4: Save the file and apply the changes** Save your changes to the file and then restart the network or reboot your server to apply the changes. ```sh sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager ``` **Debian 12, Ubuntu 22.04 and later** The configuration example below is based on Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish). The network configuration files are located in the directory `/etc/netplan/`. By default, the main configuration file is called `50-cloud-init.yaml`. **Step 1: Use SSH to connect to your server** ```sh ssh user@serverIP ``` **Step 2: Create the network configuration file** The best approach is to create a separate configuration file with a .yaml extension for configuring IPv6 addresses in the `/etc/netplan/` directory. This way, you can easily revert the changes in the event of an error. In our example, our file is named `51-cloud-init-ipv6.yaml`: ```sh sudo touch /etc/netplan/51-cloud-init-ipv6.yaml ``` **Step 3: Amend the network configuration file** Using a text editor, amend the `51-cloud-init-ipv6.yaml` file by adding the following lines to the file as shown in the example below. Replace the generic elements (i.e. `YOUR_IPV6` and `IPV6_PREFIX`) as well as the network interface (if your server is not using **eno3**) with your specific values. ```yaml network: version: 2 ethernets: eno3: dhcp6: no match: name: eno3 addresses: - YOUR_IPV6/IPV6_PREFIX ``` If you need to configure more IPv6 addresses, your configuration should look like this: ```yaml network: version: 2 ethernets: eno3: dhcp6: no match: name: eno3 addresses: - YOUR_IPV6/IPv6_PREFIX - ADDITIONAL_IPV6_1/IPv6_PREFIX - ADDITIONAL_IPV6_2/IPv6_PREFIX ``` :::warning It is important to respect the alignment of each element in this file as represented in the example above. Do not use the tab key to create your spacing. Only the space key is needed. ::: Configuration example ```sh sudo nano /etc/netplan/51-cloud-init-ipv6.yaml ``` ```yaml network: version: 2 ethernets: eno3: dhcp6: no match: name: eno3 addresses: - 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1/64 ``` - For multiple IPv6 addresses: ```yaml network: version: 2 ethernets: eno3: dhcp6: no match: name: eno3 addresses: - 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1/64 - 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::2/64 - 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::3/64 ``` **Step 4: Test and apply the configuration** You can test your configuration using this command: ```sh sudo netplan try ``` If it is correct, apply it using the following command: ```sh sudo netplan apply ``` **AlmaLinux (8/9) and Rocky Linux (8/9)** The configuration example below is based on AlmaLinux 9. The network configuration file is located in the directory `/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts`. In our example, it is called `ifcfg-eth0`. **Step 1: Use SSH to connect to your server** ```sh ssh user@serverIP ``` **Step 2: Create a backup** :::info Note that the name of the network file in our example may differ from your own. Please adjust to your appropriate name. ::: First, make a copy of the configuration file, so that you can revert at any time: ```sh sudo cp -r /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0.bak ``` **Step 3: Amend the network configuration file** In the open configuration file, add the following lines if they are missing. Replace the generic element (i.e. `YOUR_IPv6`, `IPV6_GATEWAY` and `IPV6_PREFIX`) with your specific values. Also, we have omitted the IPv4 configuration to avoid confusion, but the IPv6 configuration is made in the same configuration file. ```console IPV6INIT=yes IPV6ADDR=YOUR_IPV6/IPV6_PREFIX IPV6_DEFAULTGW=IPV6_GATEWAY ``` The contents of the configuration file may differ from that shown above, in which case simply add the missing items. Do not replace anything in the original file. If you need to configure multiple IPv6 addresses, add the following line: ```console IPV6ADDR_SECONDARIES="ADDITIONAL_IPV6_1/IPV6_PREFIX ADDITIONAL_IPV6_2/IPV6_PREFIX etc..." ``` Configuration example ```sh sudo nano /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 ``` Next, we amend the configuration file: ```console IPV6INIT=yes IPV6ADDR=2607:5300:adce:f2cd::/64 IPV6_DEFAULTGW=2607:5300:adce:f2ff:ff:ff:ff:ff ``` - For multiple IPv6 addresses: ```console IPV6INIT=yes IPV6ADDR=2607:5300:adce:f2cd:: IPV6_DEFAULTGW=2607:5300:adce:f2ff:ff:ff:ff:ff IPV6ADDR_SECONDARIES="2607:5300:adce:f2cd::1/64 2607:5300:adce:f2cd::2/64" ``` **Step 4: Save the file and apply the changes** Save your changes to the file and then restart the network with one of the following commands: ```sh sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager ``` **For CentOS 7** ```sh sudo systemctl restart network ``` You can also reboot your server to apply the changes. **Windows Server 2019 and later** **Step 1: Use RDP to connect to your server** Find more information in [this guide](/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/getting-started-with-dedicated-server.md#logging-on-to-your-server). **Step 2: Open your server's network configuration** Open the Windows Start menu, type `ncpa.cpl`, then click the suggested search result. ![Network Connections window in the Windows control panel](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_network_connections.png)Right-click your network adapter, then click Properties. ![Network Adapter Properties](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_network_adapter_properties.png)Select Internet Protocol Version 6, then click Properties. ![Properties](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_properties.png)**Step 3: Amend the network configuration** Enter your IPv6 configuration (`IPv6 address` and `Default Gateway`), check the `Validate settings upon exit` box and click the OK button to validate your changes. ![Properties](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_configuration.png)**Step 4: Disable randomized IPv6 interface identifiers** Open the Start menu, search for Windows PowerShell, right-click it and select Run as administrator. ![Run PowerShell as Administrator](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_powershell_admin.png)In the PowerShell window, run the following command: ```powershell Set-NetIPv6Protocol -RandomizeIdentifiers Disabled ``` ![Disable randomized identifiers](/images/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/network-ipv6/ipv6_powershell_randomize_identifiers.png)This step is required for IPv6 connectivity on OVHcloud infrastructure. It makes Windows build its IPv6 link-local addresses from the adapter's MAC address (EUI-64) instead of using random values. The change takes effect immediately and persists across reboots. ### Verify the configuration and test the connection To verify that the configuration is functional, there are several possible commands, depending on the operating system. - **For a GNU/Linux-based system**, here are two examples for the **eth0** interface (to be adapted if necessary): ```bash ip -6 addr show eth0 2: eth0: mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP group default qlen 1000 altname enxa8a1598c6836 inet6 2607:5300:201:abcd::/64 scope global noprefixroute valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever inet6 2607:5300:201:abcd::1/64 scope global noprefixroute valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever inet6 fe80::f816:3eff:fec0:c336/64 scope link noprefixroute valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever ``` ```bash ifconfig eth0 eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr ab:cd:ef:gf:ij:kl inet addr:aa.bb.cc.dd Bcast:aa.bb.cc.ee Mask:255.255.255.255 inet6 addr: 2607:5300:201:abcd::/64 Scope:Global inet6 addr: 2607:5300:201:abcd::1/64 Scope:Global inet6 addr: fe80::f816:3eff:fec0:c336/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 [...] ``` To test the connection, you can use the following command: ```bash ping6 -c 4 proof.ovh.net ``` - **For a Windows-based system**, use the following command: ```console ipconfig Windows IP Configuration Ethernet adapter Ethernet: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : openstacklocal IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2607:5300:201:abcd::/64 IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2607:5300:201:abcd::1/64 Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::d928:7a00:5ba6:951b%3 IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 51.xxx.xxx.xxx Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 2607:5300:201:abcd:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff 51.xxx.xxx.y ``` To test the connection, you can use the following command: ```powershell ping -6 proof.ovh.net ``` You can also test the connection to another remote server. However, IPv6 must be active on the remote server for this operation to work. ### Diagnostic Have you configured your IPv6, but found that nothing works? There is a simple operation to determine whether the error is in your configuration, or on the OVHcloud network. First, [put your server into rescue mode](/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/dedicated-servers/rescue-mode.md). Next, use the template commands below to configure your IPv6 non-persistently, replacing `YOUR_IPV6`, `IPV6_PREFIX` and `IPV6_GATEWAY` with your own details: ```sh ip addr add YOUR_IPV6/IPV6_PREFIX dev eth0 ip -6 route add IPV6_GATEWAY dev eth0 ip -6 route add default via IPV6_GATEWAY dev eth0 ``` Test your network again via a ping6, for example: ```sh ping6 ipv6.google.com ``` If your server responds, there is likely an error in one of the initial configuration steps. In any case, feel free to [contact our support team](https://help.ovhcloud.com/csm?id=csm_get_help) and ask to review your configurations. You will need to provide: - The operating system name and version you are using on your server. - The name and directory of the network configuration file. - The content of that file. ## Go further Join our [community of users](https://community.ovhcloud.com/).