IPv6 is the next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) standard intended to eventually replace IPv4, which has fewer features and is limited in number when compared to IPv6. However, IPv6 adoption in some areas is slow, for legacy systems, it’s completely not available. If you have a good reason to disable it, simply do so. For home users and folks using Windows 11 to get basic work done, they shouldn’t worry themselves with IPv6. Having both IPv4 and IPv6 running on the system won’t hurt in many cases. There are very few situations where IPv6 may be disabled or turned off. The new Windows 11 comes with many new features for new user desktops, including a centered Start menu and taskbar, rounded corners windows, themes, and colors that will make any Windows look and feel modern. To get started with disabling or enabling IPv6 in Windows 11, follow the steps below:
How to turn off IPv6 in Windows 11
By default, IPv6 is enabled and running in Windows 11. Both IPv4 and IPv6 are available and running them both won’t hurt in cases. However, if you have special cases when you need IPv6 turned off, then use the steps below. Windows 11 has a centralized location for the majority of its settings. From system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows, all can be done from its System Settings pane. To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + I shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings as shown in the image below: Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it. Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click Network & internet, and select Advanced network settings on the right pane of your screen shown in the image below. On the Advanced network settings pane, select the More network adapter option as highlighted below. That will open Windows Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapter settings pane. On the Network connection pane, select either Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. Right-click the connection then select Properties. When the Properties settings pane opens, scroll down the list and uncheck the box for Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) as highlighted below. After unchecking the box, click OK to save your changes.
How to disable IPv6 via PowerShell in Windows 11
Another way to disable IPv6 in Windows 11 is from the PowerShell console. To do that, click on the Start button then search for and select “PowerShell“. Right-click Windows PowerShell apps and select Run as administrator. When it’s open, run the command below to show all network adapters on the system. Look at the list, and take note of the adapter names under the Name column. Now to disable it, run the command below using the adapter name. Replace the “Adapter Name” in the command above with the adapter you want to disable IPv6 on. If you want to disable IPv6 on all the adapters, simply run the commands below:
How to enable IPv6 on Windows 11
If you change your mind about disabling IPv6 on your network adapters, you can enable it simply by reversing the steps above. The PowerShell command to enable IPv6 is: That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to disable or enable IPv6 when using Windows 11. If you find any error above, please use the comment form below to report.
