IPv6 and IPv4 Support in WMI

WMI IP Route Provider and network classes supply data for IPv4 addresses. Starting with Windows Vista, WMI also provides limited support for IPv6 network capabilities.

WMI IP Data

The following classes supply only IPv4 data:

• Win32_IP4RouteTable
• Win32_IP4PersistedRouteTable
• Win32_IP4RouteTableEvent
• Win32_ActiveRoute
• Win32_NetworkAdapter

The following classes supply data for both IPv4 and IPv6.

• Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration

  The IpAddess property contains the IPv6 address of the computer in an IPv6 network.

• Win32_PingStatus

  Win32_PingStatus can return data for either IPv4 or IPv6 addresses.

IPv4 and IPv6 Connections to WMI

When connecting to a WMI namespace on a remote computer, the target computer must be running the same IP software as the connecting computer. For example, a computer running IPv4 cannot connect to a computer running IPv6, even if the connection is attempted by using a computer name in the call to IWbemLocator::ConnectServer, SWbemLocator.ConnectServer, or by using the winmgmts moniker connection. The reverse is also true: a computer running only IPv6 cannot connect to a computer running only IPv4.

If the target computer is running both IPv4 and IPv6, then a connection can be made from a computer running either IP software. A computer name or an IP address in either IPv4 or IPv6 format can be supplied in the connection to a WMI namespace.

A computer that runs both IPv4 and IPv6 and connects to a target computer running only IPv4 or only IPv6 must supply an IP address in the appropriate format for the target computer IP software.

Related topics

About WMI