Retour au blog
Editorial

IPv6 and Why Email Didn't Work Anymore

Published on:

February 22, 2013

snom ONE has supported IPv6 since the early days of PBXnsip, and while we're still waiting for service providers to fully embrace IPv6, there are more practical issues to address. One of the challenges is the handling of DNS records for IPv4 and IPv6 (A and AAAA). As more services add AAAA records, the problem arises when clients without IPv6 connectivity still receive those records, which leads to connection issues. A recent example was Gmail, where the snom ONE email client stopped working. The solution was to prioritize IPv4 records first, though this workaround isn't a permanent fix, as IPv4 will eventually become obsolete.

Christian Stredicke

So everything we buy these days should be ready for IPv6. Even in the old pbxsnip days, snom ONE supported IPv6. Nothing new here.

While we are all waiting for the happy day when our service providers finally give out publicly routable prefixes so all out phones in the LAN don’t need NAT any more, we need to deal with some more down-to-earth problems. One of the problems is DNS uses records for IPv4 and some others for IPv6 (A and AAAA).

While practically all services in the net offer IPv4 DNS addresses, there are more and more providers who also add AAAA records. The problem is a DNS server operates independently from the underlying internet version. In other words, you get AAAA records even when the DNS server is running on IPv4. The practical problem is a client is running in the LAN without any IPv6 connectivity to the outside world also gets those AAAA records; when it then tries to connect to the service, it eventually times.

That is exactly what happened with Gmail. Google added IPv6 records for the Gmail service some time ago, and suddenly the snom ONE email client didn't work anymore if your PBX didn't have IPv6 connectivity.

The way we fixed the problem is the PBX now looks at the IPv4 records first. I didn't say "solve the problem” because this isn't a proper solution. The day IPv4 will become unavailable to the PBX, this fix won't work anymore. I guess we have a few more years to properly solve that problem. For now we can live with the workaround, and hopefully snom ONE users will not notice anything.

Derniers articles

Voir tous
Tech

Building Intelligent Voice Response Systems with Vodia's JavaScript IVR

JavaScript IVR transforms the way businesses handle incoming calls by enabling fully customizable, intelligent phone menu systems. Unlike static IVR setups with limited, pre-defined options, JavaScript IVR allows you to create dynamic call flows that adapt in real time based on caller input, business data, or even external API integrations. This means you can route calls more efficiently, automate complex processes, and offer highly personalized experiences to your customers. Whether you want to check customer records before transferring a call, adjust menu options based on time of day, or integrate with CRM systems for instant data access, JavaScript IVR gives you the flexibility and control to make it happen - all while improving efficiency and enhancing caller satisfaction.

August 11, 2025
Announcement

Get The Support You Need Easily Through The Vodia Help Center On Jira

Vodia support is now easier to access through the Vodia Help Center on Jira, giving partners and customers a centralized platform to submit technical support tickets, ask sales or licensing questions, and suggest new features. With a valid license key, users can open detailed requests and track their status in one place. The portal also brings together Vodia documentation, the PBX API, and the Vodia forum, making it the go-to resource for everything Vodia. Whether you're troubleshooting, planning an upgrade, or just need guidance, the Help Center is designed to streamline your experience and connect you with the right support faster.

August 7, 2025
Announcement

Vodia Attends ChannelCon 2025 in Nashville

At ChannelCon 2025 in Nashville, Vodia Sales Engineer Eric Altman engaged with MSPs and IT professionals to explore how AI is shaping the future of managed services. He emphasized that ChannelCon remains a valuable space for building strong vendor-partner relationships, especially as AI continues to dominate industry conversations. Altman noted how Vodia is helping MSPs unlock greater flexibility by combining powerful PBX features with AI-driven capabilities like dynamic call analytics, customized call flows, and automated performance reporting. He also highlighted Vodia’s recent launch of prepaid cloud instances on AWS, DigitalOcean, and Microsoft Azure, designed to streamline deployment for MSPs without infrastructure or licensing delays.

August 5, 2025