IP · IPv4 · IPv6 · CONVERTER

IP Converter

Convert any IP address between IPv4 and IPv6. Extract the embedded IPv4 from IPv4-mapped (::ffff:), 6to4 (2002::) and NAT64 (64:ff9b::) IPv6 addresses, or map an IPv4 address into its IPv6 forms. Just paste any IPv4 or IPv6 address.

~/pingie - ip-converter
ready

Paste an IPv6 address to pull out its embedded IPv4, or an IPv4 address to see its IPv6 forms.

The toolkit

Every network tool you'll ever need.

Purpose-built utilities for ports, IPs, DNS and email. Completely free, all powered by external probes.

IP Converter: Switch Between IPv4 and IPv6

Every device on the internet carries an IP address, but those addresses come in two formats that do not share a common notation. IPv4 uses a 32-bit dotted-decimal format (for example, 192.168.1.1 ), while IPv6 uses a 128-bit colon-separated hexadecimal format. Pingie's IP Converter translates addresses between these two schemes by detecting the input format automatically and computing the correct output representations.

The tool works in both directions. Enter an IPv4 address and it returns the corresponding IPv6 forms. Paste a compatible IPv6 address and it extracts the embedded IPv4 address along with the detected format name. The conversion logic follows the transition mechanisms defined in the relevant RFCs, so the output reflects how real dual-stack systems and network equipment interpret these addresses.

What the Tool Produces for Each Input Type

The output depends entirely on what you enter. The tool auto-detects the format and routes the calculation accordingly.

IPv4 input

When you enter an IPv4 address, the tool computes four representations:

  • IPv4-Mapped IPv6 ( ::ffff:x.x.x.x ): Used by dual-stack operating systems to represent an IPv4 connection inside an IPv6 socket. This is the most common transition form in production systems.
  • IPv4-Mapped (compressed) : The same address expressed in compressed hexadecimal notation, as many network tools and logs display it.
  • 6to4 ( 2002:xxyy:zzww:: ): A tunneling mechanism defined in RFC 3056. The IPv4 octets are encoded into the 16 bits following the 2002::/16 prefix.
  • IPv4-Compatible (deprecated) ( ::x.x.x.x ): An older representation retired by RFC 4291. The tool shows it for reference and labels it deprecated.

IPv6 input

When you paste an IPv6 address, the tool checks whether it belongs to a known transition family: IPv4-Mapped ( ::ffff::/96 ), 6to4 ( 2002::/16 ), NAT64 ( 64:ff9b::/96 ), or IPv4-Compatible. If it matches, the tool extracts the embedded 32-bit IPv4 value and tells you which format was detected.

If the address is a native IPv6 address with no embedded IPv4, the tool states that explicitly. There is no mathematical way to derive an IPv4 address from a native IPv6 address, and the tool does not guess.

How to Use the IP Converter

  1. Open the IP Converter from the tool menu or navigate directly to this page.
  2. Type or paste an IP address into the input field. The field accepts both IPv4 and IPv6 notation.
  3. The tool detects the format automatically and displays the results below the input.
  4. For IPv4 input, review the four IPv6 representations and copy the one you need.
  5. For IPv6 input, check the detected format label and the extracted IPv4 address (if one is present).

No form submission is required. The address you enter stays in your browser and is not stored or logged.

When You Need This Kind of Conversion

Several real-world situations call for translating between IPv4 and IPv6:

  • Configuring a dual-stack server that must bind to both address families and needs the IPv4-Mapped form for socket handling.
  • Debugging a 6to4 tunnel where you need to verify that the IPv4 address encoded in the prefix matches what you expect.
  • Tracing a NAT64 connection log where addresses appear in the 64:ff9b::/96 range and you want the original IPv4 source.
  • Auditing firewall rules that mix IPv4 and IPv6 notation for the same host.
  • Checking whether an IPv6 address from a log file carries an embedded IPv4 address at all.

You can also use Pingie's IP Blacklist Checker to verify whether a specific address appears on abuse or spam lists, and DNS Lookup to resolve hostnames to their IP addresses before converting them.

Understanding the Conversion Limits

A common misconception is that any IPv6 address can be converted back to IPv4. That is not how the protocols work. IPv6 has a 128-bit address space that is far larger than IPv4's 32-bit space. Only specific transition address families reserve bits to carry an IPv4 payload. The tool reflects this reality: it converts ipv4 and ipv6 addresses only where the underlying encoding makes recovery possible.

The IPv4-Compatible format ( ::x.x.x.x ) is included in the output because some older documentation and tools still reference it, but RFC 4291 deprecated it and modern systems do not generate it. The tool labels it clearly so you know not to rely on it in new configurations.

FAQ

The tool translates IP addresses between IPv4 and IPv6 notation using the transition mechanisms defined in networking standards. For an IPv4 input, it computes the IPv4-Mapped, 6to4, and IPv4-Compatible IPv6 representations. For an IPv6 input, it checks whether the address belongs to a known transition family and extracts the embedded IPv4 value. It auto-detects the input format, so you do not need to specify which direction you want.

No. Only IPv6 addresses that belong to specific transition families carry an embedded IPv4 address. These include IPv4-Mapped ( ::ffff:x.x.x.x ), 6to4 ( 2002::/16 ), NAT64 ( 64:ff9b::/96 ), and the deprecated IPv4-Compatible form ( ::x.x.x.x ). A native IPv6 address, such as one assigned from a global unicast block, has no IPv4 equivalent. The tool detects this and tells you so rather than producing a meaningless result.

IPv4-Mapped ( ::ffff:x.x.x.x ) is used at the socket layer on dual-stack hosts. When an IPv6 socket receives an incoming IPv4 connection, the kernel represents the source address in this format internally. It is not routed over the internet as an IPv6 address. 6to4 ( 2002:xxyy:zzww:: ) is a routing mechanism: it encodes the IPv4 address into the IPv6 prefix so that packets can be tunneled across IPv4 infrastructure between IPv6 islands. The two serve completely different network layers and use cases.

NAT64 is a translation mechanism defined in RFC 6052 that allows IPv6-only clients to reach IPv4 servers. It uses the well-known prefix 64:ff9b::/96 and places the 32-bit IPv4 address in the low-order bits of the IPv6 address. When you paste a NAT64 address into the tool, it recognises the prefix, extracts those 32 bits, and presents the embedded IPv4 address alongside the label "NAT64" so you know which mechanism produced the address.

RFC 4291 deprecated the IPv4-Compatible format ( ::x.x.x.x ) because it caused routing ambiguity and modern systems no longer generate it. However, it still appears in older documentation, legacy configurations, and some textbooks. The tool includes it in the IPv4-to-IPv6 output and labels it as deprecated so you can recognise it if you encounter it, while knowing not to use it in new deployments.

The IP Converter performs a mathematical transformation on an address you already have. It does not query any external server or resolve a hostname. A DNS Lookup queries the Domain Name System to find which IP address a hostname points to, which is a network operation with a live result. Use DNS Lookup when you have a domain name and need its address. Use this converter when you already have an IP address and need it in a different notation.

The address you enter is not stored or retained after your session ends. The conversion calculation runs and returns a result without persisting your input. If you have questions about how Pingie handles data more broadly, the privacy policy covers that in detail.

The tool validates the input before attempting any conversion. If the string you enter does not conform to valid IPv4 dotted-decimal notation or valid IPv6 colon-hexadecimal notation, the tool returns an error rather than producing a result. This prevents silent failures where a mistyped address might otherwise generate a plausible-looking but incorrect output. Check that octets are in the 0 to 255 range for IPv4, and that groups are valid hexadecimal for IPv6.

Yes. The conversion logic applies to any valid IPv4 address regardless of whether it is public, private (RFC 1918), or link-local. Private addresses like 192.168.1.1 produce valid IPv4-Mapped, 6to4, and IPv4-Compatible representations just as public addresses do. The 6to4 prefix for a private address will not be routable on the public internet, but the representation itself is mathematically correct and useful for local dual-stack configuration and testing.

The standard IPv4-Mapped form ( ::ffff:192.168.1.1 ) mixes dotted-decimal notation into the IPv6 address. The compressed hexadecimal form expresses the same address using only hex groups, for example ::ffff:c0a8:101 . Some network tools, log parsers, and programming language libraries output the compressed form. Knowing both representations helps when you are searching logs or writing pattern-matching rules that need to catch the same address in either notation.

The IP Converter handles notation translation only. It does not query reputation databases or blocklists. For that purpose, use Pingie's IP Blacklist Checker , which queries multiple real-time blacklists and returns a per-list result. A common workflow is to convert an IPv6 log entry to its embedded IPv4 address here, then check that IPv4 address for blacklist presence in the separate tool.

Yes. The page is responsive and the input field accepts text on any modern mobile browser. There is no software to install. The conversion runs server-side when you submit an address, so the result loads in the same page regardless of the device you are using. Mobile users can paste an address from a clipboard, which is useful when working from a network monitoring app or SSH client on a phone or tablet.