What Is Dual Stack Network?

If you've ever tried to connect to a network that only supports IPv4, you know how frustrating it can be. The whole thing seems backward: why would anyone ever want to connect to a network that doesn't support IPv6? Turns out, they don'tdon't. If you're running a dual-stack network, you won't have to worry about it. All your nodes will be able to receive both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic at the router level. A Dual Stack Network is a network in which all the nodes are both IPv4 and IPv6 enabled. It is essential at the router, as it is typically the first node on a given network to receive traffic from outside. At the same time, routers will typically be configured to forward IPv6 packets through an IPv4-only interface or tunnel to facilitate communication between IPv6 devices on different networks. Some protocols (such as STUN) require support for both protocols by default; dual-stack network architecture allows network administrators to run IPv4 and IPv6 on the same network. With dual-stack network architecture, you don'tdon't have to shut down your network when migrating to IPv6. Instead, you can keep your current network operating while also testing and enabling new features on the IPv6 network. With dual-stack network architecture, you don'tdon't have to worry about service interruptions. Dual-stack network architecture allows network administrators to maintain their existing network and upgrade it with the newest version of IP — IPv6. Dual-stack network architecture enables network administrators to maintain their existing network and upgrade it with the latest version of IP — IPv6. You can enable IPv6 on your network while keeping IPv4 active and operational. When you're in a dual-stack network, you don'tdon't have to worry about whether it will process your traffic correctly. You can be sure your IP packets will get where they need to go—whether IPv4 or IPv6! If you need a little help processing some packets here and there, don't worry about anything. There is a dual-stack node!