While IPv6 is the future of internet addressing, many businesses still prefer IPv4 in environments where everything is already configured with IPv4. The main advantage of sticking with IPv4 is stability—existing systems, firewalls, and network configurations are optimized for IPv4, reducing compatibility issues and minimizing the risk of disruptions during daily operations. In well-established IPv4 networks, maintaining this protocol ensures seamless integration with legacy hardware and software, which may not fully support IPv6.
Choosing IPv4 in an IPv4-configured environment also leads to cost savings. Transitioning to IPv6 can require significant investments in training, hardware upgrades, and network redesign. For organizations that don’t require the expanded address space of IPv6, sticking with IPv4 is a practical, low-risk strategy. IT professionals and decision-makers, understanding why IPv4 still holds value in specific network setups can lead to smarter infrastructure choices and more effective long-term planning.
By default, Windows uses IPv6 and IPv4 only as a fallback. You can, however, change this behavior. There are more ways of doing this but this one is perhaps the easiest and it does not require a reboot.
First open the command prompt elevated to administrator.
Then type these nine commands:
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy ::ffff:0:0/96 50 0
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy ::1/128 40 1
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy ::/0 30 2
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy 2002::/16 20 3
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy 2001::/32 5 5
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy fc00::/7 3 13
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy fec0::/10 1 11
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy 3ffe::/16 1 12
netsh interface ipv6 set prefixpolicy ::/96 1 4
If you need to revert back to an IPv6 preference then:
Open the command prompt elevated to administrator.
Then type the following command:
netsh interface ipv6 reset
Here is a zip file containing to batch files that will do this for you.
