[Desktop] IPv6 support for the desktop client

[Furry13]

Resubmitting  the same idea as:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Closed-Ideas/Desktop-Support-IPv6-end-to-end/idi-p/1240314

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Closed-Ideas/Desktop-Desktop-client-IPv6-support/idi-p/1667179

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Closed-Ideas/Other-IPv6-Support/idi-p/4469460

submitted previously by @sdstrowes

It would be highly desirable to make sure that the desktop client can work on Ipv6-only networks as they are becoming operation reality (a number of large entrerprise networks like Cisco and Microsoft have piloted IPv6-only corporate networks).

As it's been mentioned in the previosuly posted incarnations of this idea, the mobile client works just fine and Fastly supports IPv6.

Thanks!

[tiljes]

I wonder how Facebook's engineers are doing it...probably listening on mobile...or some proxying locally. Don't really know.

However, I found out, you can start Spotify desktop client with "--experimental-network" and suddenly Spotify will work on IPv6+NAT64!

[FranckMartin]

It seems it is partially enabled now:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipv6/comments/fb7nse/spotify_is_ipv6_enabled_now/

Not all endpoint have IPv6 like api.spotify.com but I see the audio stream is coming from Akamai which is IPv6 enabled.

[tiljes]

 @FrankMartin

Nope. It's enabled partly for the website. But this feature request is about the desktop client. The desktop client still binds to IPv4-sockets. That is, unless you use the "--experimental-network" switch, as is described also in the reddit.

[KakersUK]

I'm assuming the reason it's not working and falling back to IPv4 is because the IPv6 addresses exist. Then that means this has only been half way implamented, which is the most frustrating part. Either support IPv6 or don't, this half assed adoption just leaves people in limbo.

You've got companies who won't support IPv6 because there is not enough adoption, and then you've got clients who can't adopt IPv6 because of issues like this. I've had to turn off IPv6 completely as my whole family use spotify.

[tiljes]

@KakersUK

No, we're not talking about falling back to IPv4. It is not even trying to use IPv6, even if IPv6 exists (it is only partly using IPv6 for some connections).

However, I don't understand what your problem was. Spotify has no problem running on systems with BOTH IPv4 and IPv6. It only has problems on system with ONLY IPv6. The desktop client at least. The mobile app works fine on IPv6 only. Because e.g. T-Mobile USA uses IPv6-only mobile data.

Weird that you had to turn off IPv6. I wouldn't do that.

[KakersUK]

Right'o apologise.

I'll try and give it another go. I was getting a code 4 issue which suggests DNS issues. It might be the DNS server prefering IPv6 records over IPv4 causing my network to act like an IPv6 only network. Not entirely sure, I'll do some tinkering.

Thanks for the info.

[darwin123]

Hi,

My internal ipv6 address is  e00x::x:0:0:x, but it is routed to my router with external ipv6 address of 2001:569:72e5:xxxx::x.  Desktop Spotify linux app is always offline.  Using Ipv4 network works.

Please support ipv6 nat as other applications are working fine like skype, msteams, vmware, etc.

Please fix. Thanks.

I was able to find the issue by running the command "spotify --show-console'

My network setup is static configuration in /etc/network/interfaces.

Network manager is reporting the status as disconnected when it is connected.

I uninstalled Network manager by: 'apt remove network-manager'

Spotify can now connect again.

[Glowtape]

The --experimental-network switch makes it work here on an IPv6 only network with a NAT64 bridge.

What's so experimental, anyway? What exactly does the switch enable and do?

[tiljes]

@Glowtape

I think it is still experimental because it might cause some problems in a local network environment if you want to cast to speakers or other devices in your local network.

I'm not really sure what it does. I think someone on reddit pointed me towards looking for this switch which was told to him by a spotify developer. What I can see is that after enabling the switch the desktop client will query for AAAA (IPv6) as well as A (IPv4). I guess in that case it uses "getaddrinfo" instead of "gethostbyname".

[FranckMartin]

It is Spotify code which is experimental, not IPv6 which has been upgraded to a Standard Protocol since July 2017 by the IETF. To reach this status is had to show it had been deployed in many places for quite a long time: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc8200/ and https://www.iab.org/2016/11/07/iab-statement-on-ipv6/
There are many networks that are IPv6 only today (many of the cellular networks), with NAT64 gateways. Xfinity video is IPv6 only (This is why Spotify was not an app on it for a while),...