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Hands-On Lab: Configuring IPv6 Static Routes

This hands-on lab configures static routes for IPv6 destinations between two routers, mirroring the IPv4 static routing syntax covered earlier in this series while highlighting the IPv6-specific command keyword and address format.

IPv6 Static RouteIPv6 Next-Hop Addressipv6 route Command

~2 min read · Updated Sep 22, 2026

Lab Objective

Configure IPv6 static routes on two routers using next-hop addresses, and verify connectivity between each router's IPv6 LAN across the link.

Lab Purpose

IPv6 static routing follows the same conceptual logic as IPv4 static routing, discussed earlier in this series, but uses a distinct command and address format. Engineers must be comfortable configuring both, since many networks now run IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously in a dual-stack configuration.

Lab Topology

R1 ---- Gi0/0 (2001:DB8:C:1::1/64) ------
        (2001:DB8:C:1::2/64) Gi0/0 ---- R2

R1's LAN: 2001:DB8:C:10::/64 (Loopback1)
R2's LAN: 2001:DB8:C:20::/64 (Loopback1)

Task 1: Configure Basic IPv6 Addressing

Enable IPv6 routing and configure the link addresses and each router's loopback representing its LAN.

Task 2: Configure an IPv6 Static Route on R1

On R1, configure a static route to R2's LAN via R2's Gi0/0 address.

Task 3: Configure the Equivalent Route on R2

On R2, configure a static route to R1's LAN via R1's Gi0/0 address.

Task 4: Verify Connectivity

Confirm R1 can ping R2's LAN address and vice versa.

Solution and Verification

R1(config)# ipv6 unicast-routing
R1(config)# interface gigabitethernet0/0
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:DB8:C:1::1/64
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
R1(config-if)# exit
R1(config)# interface loopback1
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:DB8:C:10::1/64

R2(config)# ipv6 unicast-routing
R2(config)# interface gigabitethernet0/0
R2(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:DB8:C:1::2/64
R2(config-if)# no shutdown
R2(config-if)# exit
R2(config)# interface loopback1
R2(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:DB8:C:20::1/64

R1(config)# ipv6 route 2001:DB8:C:20::/64 2001:DB8:C:1::2

-- The command is "ipv6 route" instead of IPv4's
-- "ip route", and the mask is expressed as a
-- prefix length (/64) rather than a separate
-- dotted-decimal mask

R2(config)# ipv6 route 2001:DB8:C:10::/64 2001:DB8:C:1::1

R1# ping 2001:DB8:C:20::1

!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5)

R1# show ipv6 route static

S   2001:DB8:C:20::/64 [1/0]
     via 2001:DB8:C:1::2

Key Takeaway

The ipv6 route command structurally mirrors ip route from IPv4 static routing, discussed earlier in this series — same administrative distance concept, same next-hop-based approach — but uses IPv6's prefix-length notation for the mask and requires ipv6 unicast-routing to be enabled globally first, a step that has no IPv4 equivalent.

Written & researched by Dr. Shahin Siami

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