If I want to have a DNS name whatever.com and I do not configure it,
it is registered but does not go to any address. Hence which is ok
and wanted and meant to be.
In the past, in the IPv4 only age, some providers here offered
customers xxxx.provider.nl as a host name linked to their static IPv4 address. xxxx was for he customer to choose. That practise stopped
over a decade ago and I do not see how that could be extended to IPv6
to "work out of the box". For IPv6 there usually is k\just one IP
address and it points to the to of the customer's NAT. That would not
work "out of the box" for running a server because the customer still
had to configure a port forwward and possibly puncj hols in firewalls
but it could be a start. Fo IPv6 there is not a single IP adres for
the whole system. There is no way the provider would know what IPv6
address to proconfigure for it to "work out of the box".
So the question "if the sysop is unaware that he/she has IPv6, where
do these AAAA records come from" remains unanswered.
Possibly. So these nodes have become zombie nodes for all intents an puposes?
So have I. I have no idea what we can do to remedie the situation.
For a VPS the mac address is known by the VPS provider. If they also provide the host name, they can pre configure an IPv6 AAAA record,
that is based on the mac address.
If I want to have a DNS name whatever.com and I do not configure
it, it is registered but does not go to any address. Hence which
is ok and wanted and meant to be.
There might be some package deals where you buy a VPS with a Hostname, where the DNS for the hostname is preconfigured to point to the VPS...
I guess what I meant was, if one does indeed configure their A record,
do some providers possibly have some kind of catch all, default AAAA record that just points to A in hopes there's an IPv6 address also?
I understand if one wants to point their DNS to a specific AAAA
record, they can do it themselves. I'm just wondering with not many
people even knowing if they have IPv6 (or not even knowing what it is)
in a dual stack situation, if it might be automatically enabled
somehow by the registrar.
When IPv6 compatible routers first started coming out, there was no filtering and/or port forwarding. If you enabled IPv6, it was
completely open. I don't think it took very long for them to wise up
and address that, but I bet there's still people using those old
routers.
So what you're saying here is, there is no possibly way someone could advertise an AAAA record without them manually configuring it at their
DNS provider?
So the question "if the sysop is unaware that he/she has IPv6,
where do these AAAA records come from" remains unanswered.
That's the same question I'm hung up on then.
but alas I understand that in above way it is possible that a party already configured the IPv6 record as well although it might not be configured on the VPS ;)
If I want to have a DNS name whatever.com and I do not configure
it, it is registered but does not go to any address. Hence which is
ok and wanted and meant to be.
I guess what I meant was, if one does indeed configure their A record,
do some providers possibly have some kind of catch all, default AAAA record that just points to A in hopes there's an IPv6 address also?
I understand if one wants to point their DNS to a specific AAAA
record, they can do it themselves. I'm just wondering with not many
people even knowing if they have IPv6 (or not even knowing what it is)
in a dual stack situation, if it might be automatically enabled
somehow by the registrar.
When IPv6 compatible routers first started coming out, there was no filtering and/or port forwarding. If you enabled IPv6, it was
completely open. I don't think it took very long for them to wise up
and address that, but I bet there's still people using those old
routers.
Hey Michiel!
On Wed, Aug 06 2025 03:20:58 -0500, you wrote:
So what you're saying here is, there is no possibly way someone could advertise an AAAA record without them manually configuring it at their
DNS provider?
So the question "if the sysop is unaware that he/she has IPv6,
where do these AAAA records come from" remains unanswered.
That's the same question I'm hung up on then.
Possibly. So these nodes have become zombie nodes for all intents
an puposes?
I imagine there's quite a few. Did the most recent report from Dmitry
show about 25% of Fidonet participants are dead wood? ;)
So have I. I have no idea what we can do to remedie the situation.
I'm not so sure we can.
For a VPS the mac address is known by the VPS provider. If they
also provide the host name, they can pre configure an IPv6 AAAA
record, that is based on the mac address.
With this in mind, I have heard quite a few sysops mention using a VPS over the years. So, if this is a thing, maybe our question is finally answered!
IPv6 is still niche ..
so it would not directly be available on OLD routers. Mainly they only
do support IPv4 (been there done that as OEM/ODM manufacturer for
end-user consumer market)
There are ISP's who give users routers with dual stack, but as I am
not using that hardware I do not know if IPv6 is enabled by default.
But hey open ports is asking for trouble so they would drop every
incoming connection until it is configured otherwise
Indeed. But .. if you had it in use for ie. 2 years and you do not
use fido anymore and you forget about it or your IPv6 has been
changed cause sometimes that happens and you forget about your DNS..
than your DNS has an advertised IPv6 but does not work anymore as you
are unaware that your IPv6 has been changed.
What do you mean by "points to A" in this context?
I doubt that the use of those very old routers that do not have a
firewall and have it reject all unsilliced income is more that a very
few exceptions. IIRC they are over two decades old.
IPv6 is still niche ..
I disagree. While it is not yet the dominant protocol, it hovers just under 50% global use. It is not a niche.
so it would not directly be available on OLD routers. Mainly they
only do support IPv4 (been there done that as OEM/ODM
manufacturer for end-user consumer market)
How long ago was that?
The vast majority of consumers use a router from their provider and
the vast majority of those routers support IPv6 and have it enabled by default. Your provider's router certainly does.
Indeed. But .. if you had it in use for ie. 2 years and you do not
use fido anymore and you forget about it or your IPv6 has been
changed cause sometimes that happens and you forget about your
DNS.. than your DNS has an advertised IPv6 but does not work
anymore as you are unaware that your IPv6 has been changed.
This sounds much more plausible, then. IPv6 could have been configured
at one point (as you say), and then they bought a new router, or
anything that could cause their IPv6 address to change, and never
realized to change their DNS settings.
I doubt that the use of those very old routers that do not have a
firewall and have it reject all unsilliced income is more that a
very few exceptions. IIRC they are over two decades old.
I rocked an Asus AC68U up until only a few years ago. I'm fairly
certain with the default firmware on that router you could enable
IPv6, but you couldn't configure anything to do with it. It may have
even warned you that enabling it would open it completely to the
public. Of course, when I originally realized that I changed firmware, until it ran it's course and I eventually upgraded to an AX88U Pro.
I rocked an Asus AC68U up until only a few years ago. I'm fairly
certain with the default firmware on that router you could enable
IPv6, but you couldn't configure anything to do with it. It may have
even warned you that enabling it would open it completely to the
public. Of course, when I originally realized that I changed firmware,
until it ran it's course and I eventually upgraded to an AX88U Pro.
Bottom line: That router without a firewall is no longer is use.
Bottom line: That router without a firewall is no longer is use.
Correct, in my case. But how many others out there might still be
using a router like that. If they aren't broken (in their eyes), many don't bother upgrading until they absolutely have to.
I have 3 in my list of IPv6 nodes.
10 2:280/5006 Kees van Eeten Native KPN f INO4
61 2:460/5858 Stas Mishchenkov Native KCT/he.net f INO4
71 2:221/10 Tommi Koivula Native Hetzner f INO4
Who is number 4?
I have 3 in my list of IPv6 nodes.
10 2:280/5006 Kees van Eeten Native KPN f INO4
61 2:460/5858 Stas Mishchenkov Native KCT/he.net f INO4
71 2:221/10 Tommi Koivula Native Hetzner f INO4
Who is number 4?
There is a strong candidate in Sweden...
address: 2:203/0@fidonet
address: 2:20/0@fidonet
address: 2:2/2@fidonet
address: 2:203/2@fidonet
OPT EXTCMD
2001:9b1:10d:77::52b - Ok.
Session with 2:20/0 done.
Calling 2:20/0 (94.254.14.141:24555)
error (Connection timed out)
| Sysop: | Agent Orange |
|---|---|
| Location: | Victoria, BC Canada |
| Users: | 4 |
| Nodes: | 4 (0 / 4) |
| Uptime: | 165:55:33 |
| Calls: | 278 |
| Files: | 740 |
| Messages: | 68,036 |