IPv6 woes - RFC

Sat Sep 18 21:19:13 UTC 2021

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-dns at att.com>
> To: Prov-DNS <prov-dns at att.com>, att at satchell.net <att at 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 <att at satchell.net>
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2021 5:42 PM
> To: DNSUpdates cB <g12988 at 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.