OS X

Introduction

IPv6 is enabled by default on Mac OS X. If your gateway is configured for IPv6 and you use DHCP, you will receive an IPv6 adress.

Configuration

IPv6 can be enabled from Terminal by running

sudo ip6 -a

To disable it just run

sudo ip6 -x

Privacy Extensions

By default IPv6 adresses are created by using the MAC adress, allowing to identify the user. With privacy extensions activated the IPv6 adresses are generated ramdomly and are only valid for fixed period.

To enable them, from Terminal run

sysctl -w net.inet6.ip6.use_tempaddr=1

To (optionally) set the temp. addr. lifetime (in seconds):

sysctl -w net.inet6.ip6.temppltime=XX

To make these settings boot resistent, you have to edit /etc/sysctl.conf:

net.inet6.ip6.use_tempaddr=1
net.inet6.ip6.temppltime=XX

The modifications have to be done as root. You can use nano or vi editor

sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Add the lines from above. STRG+T will save the modifications and STRG+X will close the editor. After a reboot the changes should work.

Testing

On OS X you can test your intrface with ping6

$ ping6 ipv6.google.com
PING6(56=40+8+8 bytes) xxxx:xxx:xxx::xxx:xxx:xxx:xxx --> 2001:4860:a003::68
16 bytes from 2001:4860:a003::68, icmp_seq=0 hlim=59 time=41.325 ms
16 bytes from 2001:4860:a003::68, icmp_seq=1 hlim=59 time=43.563 ms
16 bytes from 2001:4860:a003::68, icmp_seq=2 hlim=59 time=43.569 ms
16 bytes from 2001:4860:a003::68, icmp_seq=3 hlim=59 time=42.284 ms

External Links

• IPv6 on OS X - Overview IPv6 on OS X.