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Should I Disable IPv4 After Enabling IPv6?

TL;DR - Quick Answer

No, you should NOT disable IPv4 after enabling IPv6. Running both protocols simultaneously (dual-stack) is the recommended and safest approach for the foreseeable future. Even in 2025, the vast majority of internet services, enterprise networks, and home users still require IPv4 connectivity.

Before making any changes to your network configuration, test your current connectivity at test-ipv6.run to understand your network's capabilities.

The Current State of IPv4 Necessity

Despite decades of IPv6 deployment efforts and the exhaustion of IPv4 address pools, IPv4 remains essential to internet connectivity in 2025.

Why IPv4 Persists

Universal Compatibility: IPv4 has been the backbone of the internet since its inception and maintains near-universal support across all devices, applications, and services. While IPv6 solves the address space exhaustion problem that concerns network engineers, it neither solves anything of direct concern to most internet users nor justifies the massive infrastructure costs required for a complete transition.

No Forced Deprecation Timeline: There is no definitive end-of-life date for IPv4. Industry experts predict that IPv4 will remain functionally necessary until at least 2040, with some projections suggesting it will outlive most people reading this article. Without regulatory mandates forcing deprecation, IPv4 will gradually become a legacy protocol but will never fully disappear.

Economic Realities: The cost of transitioning to IPv6-only infrastructure is substantial. Organizations must weigh the expense of upgrading or replacing IPv4-dependent systems against the pragmatic reality that Network Address Translation (NAT) and carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) effectively mitigate IPv4 address scarcity for most use cases.

What Happens If You Disable IPv4

Disabling IPv4 while the internet remains heavily dependent on it will result in:

Modern operating systems and browsers can automatically switch between IPv4 and IPv6 in less than one second when one protocol fails, providing valuable redundancy. Disabling IPv4 eliminates this safety net.

IPv6-Only Readiness Assessment

Current Global Readiness Status

As of 2025, the internet is not ready for widespread IPv6-only deployment:

Testing Your Network Before Making Changes

Before considering any protocol configuration changes, you must understand your current network capabilities. Visit test-ipv6.run to perform a comprehensive connectivity test that checks:

  1. IPv4 connectivity - Can you reach IPv4-only services?
  2. IPv6 connectivity - Do you have working IPv6?
  3. Dual-stack behavior - How does your network handle sites with both protocols?
  4. Protocol preference - Which protocol does your browser prefer?
  5. Latency comparison - Is there a performance difference?
  6. Broken IPv6 detection - Is your IPv6 misconfigured?

A score of 9-10/10 on test-ipv6.run indicates full dual-stack support, which is the ideal configuration. A score of 0/10 for "broken IPv6" means your IPv6 is configured but timing out - this is the most problematic state and must be fixed before expanding IPv6 usage.

Signs You're NOT Ready for IPv6-Only

Do NOT attempt IPv6-only deployment if:

Services and Systems Still Requiring IPv4

Cloud Services and APIs

Many essential cloud services remain IPv4-only or have incomplete IPv6 support:

Amazon Web Services (AWS): As of 2025, only about 30 AWS services support IPv6, with significant regional variations. Critical services still IPv4-only in some regions include:

Other Cloud Providers: Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure have made substantial IPv6 progress but still require dual-stack configurations for comprehensive service access.

Legacy Infrastructure

Organizations with established IT infrastructure typically have:

Third-Party Integrations

Your organization likely depends on third-party services, APIs, and integrations. Many SaaS providers, payment gateways, and B2B integration platforms still operate on IPv4-only infrastructure.

Peer-to-Peer Applications

Applications relying on peer-to-peer connectivity face significant challenges in IPv6-only environments, particularly when connecting to IPv4-only peers. VoIP systems, video conferencing, file sharing, and gaming applications may experience connectivity failures.

Enterprise vs Residential Considerations

Residential Users

Recommendation: Maintain Dual-Stack

Home users should never disable IPv4. Your ISP likely provides dual-stack connectivity (or IPv6 with IPv4 via CGNAT), which is optimal for:

Your home router should be configured to provide both protocols to all devices. Test your configuration at test-ipv6.run - a score of 9-10/10 indicates proper dual-stack operation.

Small Business Networks

Recommendation: Dual-Stack with IPv6 Priority

Small businesses should:

Enterprise Networks

Recommendation: Strategic IPv6-Mostly Deployment

Large enterprises should adopt an "IPv6-mostly" strategy:

Phase 1: Assessment and Dual-Stack

Phase 2: IPv6-Mostly Segmentation

Phase 3: Gradual IPv4 Reduction

Enterprise Challenges

Federal Government Mandate: U.S. federal agencies are required to achieve 80% IPv6-only by the end of fiscal year 2025, demonstrating that even with substantial resources and institutional commitment, complete IPv4 elimination remains years away.

Testing Procedures Before Disabling IPv4

Pre-Flight Checklist

Before even considering IPv4 removal, complete this comprehensive testing protocol:

1. Baseline Connectivity Testing

Visit test-ipv6.run from every network segment and device type:

Document your baseline scores. Aim for 9-10/10 on all segments before proceeding.

2. Application Inventory and Testing

Create a comprehensive list of:

For each application:

3. Device Compatibility Audit

Test every device category:

4. Create an IPv6-Only Test Environment

Deploy a small, isolated IPv6-only network segment with NAT64/DNS64 translation:

5. Performance Benchmarking

Compare latency, throughput, and application response times:

6. Security Validation

Ensure security posture is maintained or improved:

Rollback Planning

Before making any changes:

Hybrid Approaches: The Pragmatic Path Forward

Rather than an all-or-nothing approach, modern networks should implement graduated strategies that balance IPv6 adoption with IPv4 necessity.

What it is: Running IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously on all network infrastructure and endpoints.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Best for: Nearly all residential users, small businesses, and enterprises in early IPv6 adoption phases.

Test your dual-stack configuration regularly at test-ipv6.run to ensure both protocols function correctly. Aim for a score of 9-10/10.

IPv6-Mostly with IPv4-as-a-Service (IPv4aaS)

What it is: Operating primarily on IPv6, with translation mechanisms (NAT64/DNS64) providing on-demand IPv4 access when needed.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Best for: Large enterprises with strong IPv6 expertise, mobile carriers, and organizations facing IPv4 address cost pressures.

IPv6-Only (Future State)

What it is: Completely eliminating IPv4 from the network.

Current Readiness: NOT RECOMMENDED for general deployment in 2025.

Timeframe: May become viable for some controlled environments by 2030-2035, with widespread viability unlikely before 2040.

Limited Use Cases Today:

Critical Requirement: Even these environments typically maintain emergency IPv4 connectivity for troubleshooting and exceptional access needs.

Mobile Carrier Approach

Mobile network operators have pioneered hybrid IPv6 strategies:

This approach is viable for carriers due to their control over the entire infrastructure and client software. It is generally NOT appropriate for enterprise or residential networks where device diversity and third-party dependencies are significant.

Future Timeline Projections

2025-2030: Continued Dual-Stack Dominance

2030-2035: IPv6 Becomes Predominant

2035-2040: IPv4 as Legacy Protocol

Beyond 2040: IPv4 Niche Usage

Key Insight: These projections assume no disruptive regulatory intervention. A government-mandated IPv4 deprecation date would accelerate this timeline significantly, but no such mandate currently exists or appears likely in the near term.

Decision Framework: Should YOU Disable IPv4?

Work through this decision tree to determine the right approach for your environment:

Question 1: Have you tested at test-ipv6.run?

Question 2: Do you have any IPv4-only devices or applications?

Question 3: Do you access any services that might be IPv4-only?

Test access to:

Question 4: Do you have IPv6 expertise on your team?

Question 5: Have you completed a 30-day IPv6-only pilot test?

Question 6: Do you have rapid rollback capabilities?

Final Recommendation

Even if you answered all questions favorably, maintain dual-stack for at least the next 3-5 years. The internet ecosystem is simply not ready for widespread IPv6-only deployment in 2025.

Instead of disabling IPv4:

Conclusion

The question "Should I disable IPv4 after enabling IPv6?" has a clear answer in 2025: No.

The internet remains fundamentally dependent on IPv4 connectivity, with no definitive timeline for complete IPv6 migration. Even with aggressive institutional pushes (like the U.S. federal government's 80% IPv6-only mandate), complete elimination of IPv4 is decades away.

The optimal strategy for virtually all users and organizations is:

  1. Deploy dual-stack to enable both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity
  2. Test regularly at test-ipv6.run to ensure both protocols work correctly
  3. Monitor for broken IPv6 configurations that hurt performance
  4. Plan for IPv6-mostly as a medium-term transition strategy
  5. Maintain IPv4 connectivity as a critical safety net

IPv6 is the future of internet connectivity, but that future is still many years away. Embrace IPv6 by enabling it alongside IPv4, not by prematurely removing the protocol that keeps the internet running today.

Before making any changes to your network configuration, test your current connectivity at test-ipv6.run to establish a baseline and verify your network's capabilities.

Last updated: October 2025