14.7. Comparison of DHCPv6 to radvd
Dynamic Host configuration for IPv4 is mainly applied with DHCPv4. However, for IPv6 the following options are available:
- Manually
- Using the
radvddaemon - Using the
DHCPv6server
Manually
Manual addressing is always available. You can assign IPv6 addresses to a system using the tools described in Section 3.3.6, “Connecting to a Network Using nmcli”, Section 7.2, “Configure Bonding Using the Text User Interface, nmtui”, Section 3.6, “Configuring IP Networking with ip Commands”.
Using the radvd Daemon
A standards-compliant IPv6 network must provide router advertisements, thus IPv6 configuration options can be applied running the router advertisement daemon (radvd). The router advertisements provide the on-link information on which prefix is actually available locally on a physical LAN. On top of router advertisements, you can select either manual IPv6 configuration, automatic IPv6 configuration through router advertisements or the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCPv6). For more details on configuring the radvd daemon, see Section 14.6, “Configuring the radvd daemon for IPv6 routers”.
Using the DHCPv6 Server
When address management is under central administration, the user can set up a DHCPv6 server. The availability of DHCPv6 is announced by flags in the router advertisement packets.
| DHCPv6 | radvd |
|---|---|
| Guarantee random addresses to protect privacy. | Provide information on a default gateway. |
| Send further network configuration options to clients. For example, Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) servers, Preboot Execution Environment (iPXE) configuration. | |
| Map MAC addresses to IPv6 addresses. |
Note
To correctly configure a network, use DHCPv6 in conjunction with radvd, as only router advertisements provide information on a default gateway.
