Anycast for IPv6

BGP anycast technology works with both IPv4 and IPv6. Given the ongoing shortage of IPv4 addresses, more and more large companies and ISPs are adopting IPv6. Apple and Android now require IPv6 support in all mobile applications.

Anycast distributes incoming IPv6 traffic across multiple anycast nodes. When a client sends a request to the anycast IP address, BGP uses its routing table metrics to make sure the traffic is routed to the nearest node. The minimum IPv6 prefix size you can anycast to the global routing table is a /48, which is larger than IPv4’s /24. By using anycast with IPv6, businesses get improved network performance, resilience, and load balancing for high demand services.