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Forum Discussion
[BUG] IPv6: 6rd support breaks after an IPv4 change
Hello,
For context, I'm using CenturyLink fiber, which offers IPv6 through 6rd.
The problem: with 6rd, IPv6 autoconfig works only on the initial connection. It does not happen on subsequent IPv4 changes.
The 6rd delegated prefix for use at a customer site is created by combining the 6rd prefix and all or part of the CE IPv4 address. From these elements, the 6rd delegated prefix is automatically created by the CE for the customer site when IPv4 service is obtained. This 6rd delegated prefix is used in the same manner as a prefix obtained via DHCPv6 prefix delegation [RFC3633].
When configuring the Orbi router with 6rd, it should use the configured IPv6 prefix with the IPv4 from the ISP to auto-configure an IPv6, which can then be used for router advertisements on the LAN side.
However, I have a dynamic IPv4 which changes about once a week. Every time I get a new IPv4, I lose IPv6 connectivity because the 6rd-derived IPv6 is not reconfigured after the IPv4 change.
This seems like a bug in Orbi's handling of 6rd. Only way for me to get IPv6 connectivity back is to reboot the Orbi so it does auto-config again.
Posting this in remote hopes that someone at Netgear is looking at this. Please fix in the next firmware - thanks 🙂
Router model: RBR750
Firmware version: V4.6.14.3_2.3.12
Firmware version: V4.6.14.3_2.3.12
21 Replies
You could trying centurylink's gateway and connecting the orbi in AP mode.
plemans wrote:You could trying centurylink's gateway and connecting the orbi in AP mode.
Yeah, I know how to work around it, but a bug is still a bug 🙂 I'd rather reboot weekly in this case.
Also the combination of Orbi in AP mode + CenturyLink router is not something I like. Orbi in AP mode requires the upstream router to respond to ICMP pings otherwise it will reboot endlessly. And interestingly, on the CenturyLink router, there is no way to enable LAN-side ping without also enabling WAN-side ping (it's all under the "stealth mode" option - it's all or nothing). And I don't really like having my router responding to pings from the internet.
Please make contact with NG support to let them know this:
https://my.netgear.com/support/contact.aspx
https://www.netgear.com/about/contact-us/
TheCube wrote:
Hello,For context, I'm using CenturyLink fiber, which offers IPv6 through 6rd.The problem: with 6rd, IPv6 autoconfig works only on the initial connection. It does not happen on subsequent IPv4 changes.The 6rd delegated prefix for use at a customer site is created by combining the 6rd prefix and all or part of the CE IPv4 address. From these elements, the 6rd delegated prefix is automatically created by the CE for the customer site when IPv4 service is obtained. This 6rd delegated prefix is used in the same manner as a prefix obtained via DHCPv6 prefix delegation [RFC3633].When configuring the Orbi router with 6rd, it should use the configured IPv6 prefix with the IPv4 from the ISP to auto-configure an IPv6, which can then be used for router advertisements on the LAN side.However, I have a dynamic IPv4 which changes about once a week. Every time I get a new IPv4, I lose IPv6 connectivity because the 6rd-derived IPv6 is not reconfigured after the IPv4 change.This seems like a bug in Orbi's handling of 6rd. Only way for me to get IPv6 connectivity back is to reboot the Orbi so it does auto-config again.Posting this in remote hopes that someone at Netgear is looking at this. Please fix in the next firmware - thanks 🙂Router model: RBR750
Firmware version: V4.6.14.3_2.3.12
FURRYe38 wrote:Please make contact with NG support to let them know this:
https://my.netgear.com/support/contact.aspx
https://www.netgear.com/about/contact-us/I don't have netgear support anymore, and I'd rather not pay $90 to file a bug report they are likely to ignore. Are they really taking bug reports on a home support phone number? Not sure how best to do this
I have CL Fiber and have been through exactly what you describe many times. 6rd is the easiest and cheapest way to deploy "fakish" IPv6. And depending on what the area you are in was previously setup the settings and format may be different. But if you know that it's 6rd, you're a third of the way there. Even setting it up in their own routers is a bit of a job.
There is a set group of settings that your dynamic IPv4 Address won't affect. It directs you directly to the IPv6 servers. You may already have it, but please find them attached. I use them on all my gear and depending on which Router System you're using they will behave differently. On my Orbi RBK853, IPv6 worked like a charm until a FW update halfway through v3.x. Since it's work for a while then nothing. On an MK-X3 system I have had it up and running for a long time. So . . .
But this has been discussed in depth and we'll make sure the discussion keeps going and pertinent info gets passed on. Cuz we're all goin' to need it last week.
Hope this helps.
FarmerBob1 wrote:I have CL Fiber and have been through exactly what you describe many times. 6rd is the easiest and cheapest way to deploy "fakish" IPv6. And depending on what the area you are in was previously setup the settings and format may be different. But if you know that it's 6rd, you're a third of the way there. Even setting it up in their own routers is a bit of a job.
There is a set group of settings that your dynamic IPv4 Address won't affect. It directs you directly to the IPv6 servers. You may already have it, but please find them attached. I use them on all my gear and depending on which Router System you're using they will behave differently.
Yeah I have no issues setting up 6rd - as stated in my first message, it works fine for about a week (until IPv4 gets renewed), due to the bug I described. Not sure if you read my message completely, or if you mention it for others just in case.
Anyway - some people may or may not experience what I describe, as it all depends on how often CenturyLink (or your ISP) changes our IPv4. For almost a year I had no issues because my IPv4 was never changing. In the past few months, CenturyLink seems to have rolled out a change that causes IPv4 leases not to be renewed, with a new IP getting issued every week or so. (there's also the possibility of a recent Orbi firmware update that caused the Orbi to stop renewing DHCPv4 leases, causing new ones to get issued by the ISP). Whatever the cause is, unfortunately that makes the Orbi 6rd bug described above a real issue due to the interaction between IPv4 and 6rd.
There has been long standing IPv6 issues on Orbi AX since v4 intro'd and hasn't been fully addressed.
We have passed all this up to NG for review. It's mostly in there ballpark. The other part is the ISP consideration, as there are some ISP service issues that has been observed that also plays a roll in all this as well. So this is a 2-sided problem and both NG and ISP need to come to the table. We have been pushing this as best as we can where we can.
All I can say.
Netgear somehow provided me with a trial firmware that fixed the issue back in September 2023. They've emailed me recently to ask me to try the new official release, which I just did. The new firmware release is still broken. I wish I had kept the trial version.
I'm now running a script on my raspberry pi that continuously tries to detect the bug, and reboots the Orbi when it is hit.
I've received DMs on other forums from a few other people impacted by this. I am now giving them by detection/reboot script. I'm not sure if anyone from Netgear is reading this, but 14 months later this is just sad lol. Support case 47156485
What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What beta FW version did you get that seem to fix what you were seeing?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?Have you tried a custom IPv6 DNS address vs decteded ISP IPv6 DNS?
Hey - I replied to your DM where you asked some of these questions.
Note that the bug has been independently reproduced by BugCrowd through the Netgear bug bounty program. They used their own hardware to reproduce (probably in a black box environment - no ISP, no ONT). This is purely a firmware issue - IPv4 address changes aren't properly handled by the IPv6 stack. The Netgear support case (and Bugcrowd submission) has all the details
