How to Diagnose IPv6 Failures Using Ping, Traceroute, and DNS Lookup Tools

IPv6 adoption is growing, but connectivity issues can remain invisible if you don’t monitor both IPv4 and IPv6. Knowing how to diagnose IPv6 failures manually helps you understand the root causes — and complements automated monitoring.

1. Start with IPv6 Ping

Use ping6 (Linux/macOS) or ping -6 (Windows) to verify that your endpoint responds over IPv6:

ping6 example.com

Successful replies indicate that your server and network path are reachable via IPv6. Timeouts or packet loss suggest connectivity problems or firewall rules blocking IPv6 traffic.

2. Trace the Route with Traceroute6

To pinpoint where traffic is failing, use traceroute6 (Linux/macOS) or tracert -6 (Windows):

traceroute6 example.com

Each hop shows how packets traverse the network. Missing or delayed hops indicate network congestion, misconfigured routers, or ISP-level IPv6 issues.

3. Check DNS for IPv6 Resolution

Ensure your domain’s AAAA record resolves correctly:

Use dig AAAA example.com (Linux/macOS)
Or nslookup -type=AAAA example.com (Windows)

Inconsistent or missing AAAA records are a common source of “hidden downtime” for IPv6 users.

4. Compare with Automated Monitoring

Manual tests are great for diagnostics, but only automated monitoring like UptyBots ensures continuous uptime visibility. Automated checks perform:

IPv4 and IPv6 tests independently
Multi-location probing to detect regional outages
Instant alerts via email, Telegram, or webhooks

5. Best Practices

Run manual tests occasionally to verify automated monitoring accuracy
Monitor both A and AAAA records
Document network paths and firewall rules for troubleshooting
Keep historical logs to identify intermittent failures

Combining manual checks with UptyBots’s automation ensures you never miss IPv6-related downtime again.