The internet needs IPv6 and so does your home network

Half of Google's users now reach it over IPv6, but your router may still have it switched off.

By Luke James Oct. 25, 2026 12:15 pm EST HELEN.UA/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

Have you ever counted up everything in your home that connects to the internet? There's your phone and laptop, but also the TV and game console, plus maybe a video doorbell and many other smart home devices. It's pretty likely that they're all sharing one public internet address, and it's your router's job to figure out which incoming data belongs to which device. This is because IPv4, the internet's original address system, ran out of fresh addresses back in 2011.