If you chose DHCP when first installing the OS, you may want to edit the networking configuration manually (to switch to a static IP).

Openbsd requires one hostname.if per device, where the letters 'if' are replaced with an abbreviation followed by a device number. So, for example, an Atheros IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n wifi device is abbreviated by athn0, and will need an /etc/hostname.athn0 file.

Replace if with your own device name. Inside /etc/hostname.if0, put:

<code>
inet 192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0
inet alias 192.168.1.3 255.255.255.0
inet6 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:9b1d:3511:387e:143a 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:1465:fed1:8daf:66ff 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:11b4:4a36:2941:d6bd 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:ad2c:5b99:2b1a:89d1 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:921d:28ad:4729:8d93 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:c9bb:45f7:c494:1fc1 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:5142:9b81:dec2:186c 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:a118:dd85:a14f:72d7 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:91f2:4943:de98:c9d5 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:18a4:1ca3:5d31:2ddc 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:31af:1656:16cf:611a 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:8d27:5b44:3e75:4b86 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:a259:79f6:fa54:a5e2 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:59d8:f8ae:18a3:3644 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:1dc7:c1c7:7b16:1151 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:1c46:b131:e9de:edc1 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:e72b:6165:b6fb:161f 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:244c:47c2:f8fd:4bc2 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:f664:e887:826d:64c5 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:f8e7:1ca5:4852:9e78 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:59e5:7568:ab7f:289f 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:111e:6834:a1b1:64ff 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:de32:1311:18d4:6f8b 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:5714:1f81:156f:572b 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:2589:ad14:872a:fa94 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:5b15:e14f:812e:fa84 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:5982:9c11:c2eb:c6ed 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:abaf:88e4:69e1:f2a5 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:a52b:5de1:ceba:b65a 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:7e8b:f585:f2e7:66a1 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:46ad:1add:cb77:154b 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:b664:368a:d94b:3ce8 48
</code>

Let's look at the first two lines:

<code>
inet 192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0
inet alias 192.168.1.3 255.255.255.0
</code>

The first line will set the device to use the static IP 192.168.1.2 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. The second line will allow the device to use a second static IP, 192.168.1.3. It will be aliased to the first and have the same subnet mask.

Let's look at lines 3 and 4:

<code>
inet6 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 48
inet6 alias 2001:0db8:0000:0000:9b1d:3511:387e:143a 48
</code>

The first one sets the device to use the static IPv6 address 2001:0db8:: with a /48 subnet, and the second one creates another IPv6 address 2001:0db8:0000:0000:9b1d:3511:387e:143a with a /48 subnet, aliased to the first IPv6 address. In this way, you can create dozens of unique IPv6 addresses so that each user on a shell account or bouncer can get a unique IPv6 address.

You will also need to specify the default gateway in /etc/mygate:

<code>
192.168.1.1
2001:0db8:0000:0000::1
</code>

Sometimes, to restart networking, I will run:

<code>
$ doas sh /etc/netstart
</code>

But this doesn't seem to properly reset the networking sometimes.

Watch out! Iked, without the -6 flag, will block all IPv6 traffic.

If you later decide you want to add a new ipv6 address, use ifconfig:

<code>
$ doas ifconfig if0 inet6 2001:0db8::/64
</code>

To delete the IPv6 address:

<code>
$ doas ifconfig if0 inet6 2001:0db8::/64 delete
</code>

Replace if0 with your specific interface.

----

To test if an IPv6 address is working, you can use netcat to connect to an IRC network that supports IPv6:

<code>
$ nc -s 2001:0db8:: ipv6.ircnow.org 6667
nick newnick
user newuser * * :newuser
PING :12345
PONG :12345
</code>

If that loads a message, then you configured the IPv6 address 2001:0db8:: correctly.