This page provides ongoing updates on our IPv6 compatibility progress. Links to all of our compatible products can be found here and more will be added as they become available. Additionally, we will post progress reports detailing the work done to build IPv6 compatible GeoIP and minFraud products.

MaxMind has been taking steps to ensure that all of its products are IPv6 compatible. Currently, our free GeoLite City and Country databases are IPv6 compatible. The release of GeoLite IPv6 City represents a significant step in the process of bringing our retail products, GeoIP and minFraud, to the same level of compatibility.

Though IPv6 implementation is currently underway, it is important to remember that, to date, IPv6 represents a very modest portion of internet traffic. Once IPv6 usage becomes more widespread, MaxMind will have collected the data necessary to provide the same coverage and accuracy in the IPv6 space as it does in the IPv4 space.

If you have further questions concerning MaxMind's plans for IPv6 compatibility, please contact us at info@maxmind.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which MaxMind services currently support IPv6 Addresses? Several of our APIs support IPv6 lookups using our free GeoLite IPv6 Country database and our free GeoLite IPv6 City database. We also have a CSV version of the IPv6 databases available. We will continue releasing free IPv6 databases and updating our APIs as IPv6 becomes more widely used.

When do you expect to release IPv6 compatible versions of your GeoIP and minFraud products? The development of our retail products is highly dependent upon IPv6 usage. While we have the necessary infrastructure in place to produce IPv6 databases, we require higher IPv6 use rates in order to gather the information needed to build databases that have coverage and accuracy comparable to our IPv4 databases. We will periodically provide updates on our progress.

What happens when I try to use IPv6 addresses with your current retail products? Currently, IPv6 addresses will return a generic error message.

Can't you translate IPv6 addresses into IPv4 addresses to make them compatible? No. IPv6 addresses are 128 bits, while IPv4 addresses are 32 bits. Since IPv6 addresses are much larger, they cannot be translated.

Should I use MaxMind products if they cannot read IPv6 addresses? Yes, you should use MaxMind! IPv6 usage represents a very small percentage of overall internet traffic and as such has had a negligible effect on the accuracy of our products.

If I am already a client, will I have to pay more for IPv6 compatible products? No. minFraud, GeoIP webservices and proxy detection will be automatically updated and clients using them will not have to pay additional fees. If you are using our GeoIP databases, you will need to purchase an update to become IPv6 compatible, but you will not be required to purchase a new site license or pay any additional fees on top of the regular update prices.

What will I need to do to become IPv6 compatible? minFraud, GeoIP webservice and proxy detection clients will need to update their APIs. Clients using our GeoIP databases will need to update their databases and their APIs. Please note that the IPv6 update will be rolled into our usual update schedule, so if you are currently already updating regularly, you will not need to do anything special.

Which APIs are IPv6 compatible? Currently, our C, C#, PHP, Java, and Perl APIs are IPv6 compatible.