IPv6 Geographic Distribution

What This Check Does

The IPv6 Geographic Distribution check verifies that your active nameserver IPv6 (AAAA) addresses are physically located in more than one country. This ensures geographic redundancy specifically for IPv6 DNS resolution, protecting against regional disruptions that could affect IPv6 connectivity.

DNS Spy geolocates each nameserver IPv6 address and checks that they span at least two different countries.

Why It Matters

As IPv6 becomes the default protocol for many networks, ensuring geographic diversity for IPv6 nameserver addresses is just as important as for IPv4. IPv6 and IPv4 may follow different network paths, so geographic diversity must be verified independently for each protocol.

Some providers may offer IPv6 addresses in different locations than their IPv4 addresses, or may not offer IPv6 in all regions. Verifying IPv6 geographic distribution separately ensures your domain maintains resilience for IPv6 users regardless of provider limitations.

NIST SP 800-81, Section 3.3, recommends geographic diversity for nameserver infrastructure. DNS Spy extends this check to IPv6 addresses, ensuring comprehensive coverage.

NIST SP 800-81 Compliance

Section 3.3 of the NIST Secure DNS Deployment Guide recommends geographic diversity for all nameserver infrastructure. This check ensures your IPv6 deployment meets NIST guidelines by verifying multi-country distribution of IPv6 nameserver addresses.

Good vs. Bad Configuration

Bad Configuration

All nameserver IPv6 addresses are geolocated to a single country. IPv6 users in other regions have no nearby nameserver, and a regional disruption could affect all IPv6 DNS resolution.

Good Configuration

Nameserver IPv6 addresses are distributed across multiple countries, ensuring geographic resilience and improved performance for IPv6 users worldwide.

How DNS Spy Monitors This

DNS Spy geolocates each nameserver IPv6 address during every monitoring cycle and verifies multi-country distribution. If all IPv6 addresses are in the same country, an alert is triggered. Historical tracking shows how your IPv6 geographic distribution changes over time.