How to Enable IPv6 on a Router

Are you facing connectivity issues and need to find a solution? You have nothing to worry about, as here we will be sharing the most straightforward way how to enable IPv6 on a router. This might be the best way to fix the issue. Find your router model type from the list and follow the instructions presented, and you will enable the IPv6 in no time. 

Moreover, if you face any issues with your IPv6 network connection, follow the troubleshooting guide provided at the end of our article.

How to Enable IPv6 on a Router

There are two ways how to enable IPv6 on a router. The first one is using your Windows Network Settings. Right-click on the ‘Ethernet’ icon and open ‘Properties’. 

Then, mark the IPv6 box to enable it if installed; if not, mark the box and click ‘Install’. Now your computer will be connected to IPv6. 

You can enable IPv6 on your router by accessing your router’s main admin page, depending on the model type. 

So, from the menu, find the ‘IPv6’ option and select it. Then, choose the type of connection you are using, and your router will be automatically set to IPv6. 

What Do You Need to Enable IPv6 on a Router?

Before we begin, let’s make a few things clear. Whether you’ll be or you won’t be able to enable IPv6 on your router depends on a few factors, and these are the requirements you’ll need:

• Check if your manufacturer supports an IPv6 option from the router’s admin page; even if it supports it, you’ll only see if it’s working by testing it
• Check whether your current Internet Service Provider supports IPv6 and the steps to get a prefix (IP block) that needs to be assigned to your home router

If the answer to both these questions is ‘no’, then, unfortunately, you won’t be able to have IPv6. However, if you do, you can process it by following the methods below. 

Also read: How to Change WiFi to 2.4GHZ

Enabling IPv6 on Different Devices

Windows 7 settings 

1. Open the ‘Control Panel’ settings from the menu.
2. Access ‘Network Settings’ and then open ‘Network Access’.
3. Click on ‘Network and Sharing Center’ and select ‘Change Adapter Settings’. Here you’ll see the ‘Ethernet’ connection. 
4. Right-click on the ‘Ethernet’ icon and open ‘Properties’.
5. Scroll down the ‘Properties’ menu and find ‘Internet Protocol Network 6’ (IPv6); if it isn’t listed, you’ll need to install it; mark the box and then click ‘Install’.
6. You must select the ‘Internet Protocol 6’ box and confirm if it is already installed.
7. Now, you have enabled IPv6 across everything and can access it from any device. To check if you are connected to IPv6, open the ‘Ethernet Status’.

Most of the time, you’ll get the message stating ‘No Internet Connection’ next to the IPv6; however, don’t worry, as it will still work on any other device you connect to on your network.

TPLink router 

Step 1: Setup the physical connection 

1. First, turn ‘On’ your modem. Next, you will connect both devices using an Ethernet cable.
2. Place the first end of the cable into the ‘Internet Port’ of your router and the second end of the cable into the ‘LAN Port’ of your modem.
3. Take a second Ethernet cable and connect the router and computer.
4. Place the first end into one of the ports labeled from 1-4 on your router while connecting the second end of the cable to your computer.
5. Place your router’s Power Adapter into the wall socket and turn it ‘On’. Wait for a couple of seconds to establish the network connection.

Step 2: Configure the router to IPv6 

1. Open the web browser and enter the router’s official webpage. If you don’t know how to do that, type the default IP address ‘192.168.0.1’.
2. Now enter your router credentials if your router has custom ones on its box; if not, type in ‘admin’ for both username and password.
3. You’ll be redirected to your TPLink router’s main admin page.
4. Select the ‘Advanced’ option from the top menu. From the menu on the left side, find and click on ‘IPv6’; tick the ‘IPv6’ option to turn it blue, enabling the ‘IPv6’.
5. Next to the Internet Connection Type, select the ‘PPPoEv6’ from the drop-down menu and click on the box underneath.
6. Next to the Addressing Type, select ‘SLAAC’ and click ‘Save’. 

Asus router 

1. Open your web browser and access the ‘Asus’ router’s main admin page.
2. For older Asus routers, type in the default IP address ‘192.168.1.1’; for new Asus routers, ‘192.168.50.1’.
3. Access ‘Advanced Settings’ from the left sidebar and select the entry ‘IPv6’.
4. From the drop-down menu, select the connection type: PPPoE for Native IP internet connection, Static IP for Static IPv6 internet connection, or Passthrough for Automatic IP internet connection.
5. Select one option depending on the internet connection, and click ‘Apply’.
6. Wait a few moments, as your router will automatically reboot.

NETGEAR router 

1. Open your web browser, and in the search bar, type in http://routerlogin.net or http://routerlogin.com.
2. Input your username or password provided by your NETGEAR router, or enter the default credentials’ username’ and ‘password’ in both empty fields.
3. You’ll be redirected to your ‘NETGEAR Router Admin Panel’.
4. Click on the ‘Advanced option’, select ‘Advanced Setup’, and choose ‘IPv6’.
5. Select the IPv6 connection type and confirm your selection; if you don’t know the connection type, select ‘Auto Detect’.
6. Click the ‘Apply’ button, and your ‘NETGEAR’ router will be configured to IPv6.

How to Fix IPv6 Connectivity Issue

Reset Winsock and TCP/IP

1. Open the ‘Search Bar’ and type in ‘Command Prompt’.
2. Right-click on ‘Command Prompt’. Next, select ‘Run as administrator’.
3. Type these commands ‘netsh winsock reset catalog’ and ‘netsh int IPv6 reset.log’ and press ‘Enter’ after you type each one.

Release and renew your IP configuration settings 

1. Open ‘Command Prompt’ as you did previously.
2. Type these commands “ipconfig /release” and “ipconfig /renew” and press ‘Enter’ after you type in each one.

Disable IP Helper service 

• Right-click on ‘Start’ and select ‘Run’.
• Type in ‘services.msc’ and click ‘Ok’.
• On the list, find the IP Helper service and right-click it, then select ‘Properties’.
• Select ‘Startup’, type ‘Disabled’, and then click ‘Stop’; finally, click ‘Apply’. 

Disable IPv6 

1. Right-click ‘Start’ and select ‘Network Connections’. 
2. Select the network connection on the left pane and click ‘Ethernet’. 
3. Click on ‘Change Adapter Options’.
4. Right-click on ‘Ethernet’ and choose ‘Properties’.
5. Disable ‘Internet Protocol Version 6’ and click ‘Ok’.

Update the Network Driver 

1. Open the ‘Search Bar’ and type in ‘Device Manager’.
2. Find and expand the ‘Network Adapters’ option.
3. Click on the networking device you are using and select ‘Update Driver’.
4. Now click ‘Browse my computer for driver software’.
5. From the pop-up menu, select ‘Documents’ and click ‘Ok’.