I concur that the problem is not a routing hardware problem. It's a
perception problem with the various ISPs. I have fiber service with AT&T.
My little server farm endpoints all have IPv6 addresses, including the
edge router. I also have a plan to allocate IPv6 addresses to my LAN
devices, and to protect the LAN devices from outside interference by
rules in the NFTABLES firewall that include connection tracking on
outbound requests. (IPv4 will still use NAT to keep nefarious people
from probing my internals.)
Specifically, when I was doing my mail server refresh (moving from Red
Hat to Canonical) I decided it was time to offer IPv6 connectivity in
the mail server to "future proof" my setup. That included adding AAAA
records in my DNS zone files. Failure! The issues:
1. I learned that there are no "static addresses" in IPv6, as far as
AT&T was concerned. By all appearances, though, the IPv6 /64 is
relatively static, for now, similar to the way that early cable modem
deployments kept the same IPv4 addresses. (Until the cable people
started forcing changes on DHCP lease renewal, that is.)
2. My request for PTR records was denied, which means I can't satisfy
Best Practices for a mail server in the IPv6 space. No PTR records, no
redirection of ip6.apra space, nothing. I include AT&T's refusal below.
3. I don't know how to get an IPv6 allocation from ARIN, how to request
AT&T to route it, or how to deal with the DNS server issues. Oh, I know
how to configure BIND9; I would prefer using a 24/7/365 provider. For
example, my master zone files are with Register.com, so if my circuit
goes down the name resolution still happens. Register.com appears not
to provide reverse-DNS PTR zone support (in6.arpa). A Google search
turned up NOTHING for in6.arpa hosting.
That tells me that IPv6 is not "Internet Ready" for small users. Given
the level of FU responses I get trying to work with it, I will stop
banging my head against the wall.
So I stick with IPv4, because that will be the "standard" until the day
I die, as far as I can tell.
(I removed the AAAA record, so as not to confuse mail server that DO
operate IPv6.)
Subject: RE: Need IPv6 PTR record for my IPv6 mail server
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:52:53 +0000
From: Prov-DNS <prov-...@att.com>
To: Prov-DNS <prov-...@att.com>, a...@satchell.net <a...@satchell.net>
Hello
We don't process DNS request on IPv6 addresses. We only process DNS
request on IPv4 static assigned addresses. If you would like us to
process a DNS request for you on a IPv4 address please provide the
following information.
IPv4 address you would like the record created for Host name you would > like that IP address pointed to
>
Thanks
Michael AT&T Prov-DNS
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Satchell <a...@satchell.net>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2021 5:42 PM
To: DNSUpdates cB <g12...@att.com>
Subject: Need IPv6 PTR record for my IPv6 mail server
Here is the record I need inserted into your ip6.arpa DNS zone:
2.3.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.c.d.d.0.b.9.7.0.0.7.1.0.0.6.2.ip6.arpa. 0
IN PTR smtp.satchell.net.
This is the result from the question section of a dig(1) request for the PTR
record for my IPv6 address 2600:1700:79b0:ddc0::32, and the fully-qualified
domain name of the server.
You can verify the information using dig smtp.satchell.net AAAA and
checking the reverse.
This is the only server in my collection that needs the IPv6 pointer.
