This week, all eeros are receiving an update with a number of new software upgrades, including a new, highly requested feature — IPv6, the next generation networking standard. Adding IPv6 is just the latest example of how we ensure eero systems stay new and get better and better over time with our unique ability to automatically send software updates to eeros.
What is IPv6?
In short, IPv6 is the future of the internet. But what does that really mean? IPv6 (more formally known as Internet Protocol version 6) is the internet’s next generation protocol, created to replace the current Internet Protocol, IPv4.
For devices to communicate over the internet, they must have a sender and receiver address, just like what you’d list on a letter you were dropping in the mail. Like addresses that identify our homes, addresses that route information from devices to the internet are known as IP addresses. While IPv4 provided billions of unique IP addresses, because of the growing number of internet-connected devices, the protocol is now unable to provide enough unique addresses for each device to claim its own.
IPv6 was created to accommodate more users and devices accessing the internet. IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long, which allows for 340 trillion, trillion, trillion unique IP addresses. Though both are currently in use, IPv6 will eventually replace IPv4 as the standard protocol devices use to communicate with the internet.
Benefits of IPv6
Along with creating more IP addresses, IPv6 allows for information to be routed more efficiently on the internet, which means customers may experience benefits like lower latency as they browse the web and better communication between their connected devices. According to Cloudflare data, some of the internet’s most popular websites show that routing over IPv6 has made websites 10-15 percent faster.
To enable IPv6 on eero’s hardware, visit the Advanced Settings section of the eero app. IPv6 works when your eeros are in Gateway or Bridge mode. For more information, check out our Help Center page.
As we continue to add more features to eero, we invite you to share your suggestions and feedback in the eero community.
