What is dhcp6d?

dhcp6d is a networking process that handles part of your Mac's internet connection setup.

What is dhcp6d?

dhcp6d is the DHCPv6 client daemon. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is how your computer gets an IP address from the network. dhcp6d handles IPv6 address assignment, using the newer version of the internet protocol that is slowly replacing IPv4.

When does it run?

dhcp6d runs when your network uses DHCPv6 to hand out IPv6 addresses. Not all networks use DHCPv6. Many use a different method called SLAAC (Stateless Address Autoconfiguration) for IPv6 instead. If your network uses SLAAC, dhcp6d may not be active.

Do I need IPv6?

Most home networks still mainly use IPv4, but IPv6 is becoming more common. Your broadband provider may already offer IPv6. macOS handles both on its own, so you do not need to set anything up.

Should you worry?

No. It is a standard networking daemon. It runs only when needed and uses very few resources. It is simply how your Mac gets its IPv6 network address.

Enjoyed this post?

Well, you could share the post with others, follow me with RSS Feeds and/or send me a comment via email.

Tags