IPv6 WAN Types

Details can be found in IPv6 Configuration Types, but some of the most common ways of deploying IPv6 are:

Static Addressing:

Native and using IPv6 either on its own or in a dual stack configuration alongside IPv4.

DHCPv6:

Address automatically obtained by DHCPv6 to an upstream server. Prefix delegation may also be used with DHCPv6 to deliver a routed subnet to a DHCPv6 client.

Stateless address auto configuration (SLAAC):

Automatically determines the IPv6 address by consulting router advertisement messages and generating an IP address inside a prefix. This is not very useful for a router, as there is no way to route a network for the “inside” of the firewall. It may be useful for appliance modes.

6RD Tunnel:

A method of tunneling IPv6 traffic inside IPv4. This is used by ISPs for rapid IPv6 deployment.

6to4 Tunnel:

Similar to 6RD but with different mechanisms and limitations.

GIF Tunnel:

Not technically a direct WAN type, but commonly used. Customer builds an IPv4 GIF tunnel to a provider to tunnel IPv6 traffic.

While not technically a WAN type, IPv6 connectivity can also be arranged over a VPN such as IPsec, WireGuard, or OpenVPN. Most VPNs are capable of carrying IPv4 and IPv6 traffic simultaneously, so they can deliver IPv6 over IPv4, though with more overhead than a typical tunnel broker that uses GIF. These are good options for a company that has IPv6 at a datacenter or main office but not at a remote location.