6.2 IP address allocation

24.3013GPPNon-Access-Stratum (NAS) protocol for Evolved Packet System (EPS)Release 18Stage 3TS

6.2.1 General

The UE can configure an IPv4 address during the establishment of a default EPS bearer context. The UE can obtain an IPv4 address or an IPv6 prefix or both via an IETF-based IP address allocation mechanism once the default bearer is established.

The following IETF-based IP address/prefix allocation methods are specified for EPS (the corresponding procedures are specified in 3GPP TS 29.061 [16]):

a) /64 IPv6 default prefix allocation via IPv6 stateless address autoconfiguration. Optionally, allocation of additional IPv6 prefix(es) with length /64 or shorter via stateful DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation (see IETF RFC 3633 [24A]);

b) IPv4 address allocation and IPv4 parameter configuration via DHCPv4;

c) IPv6 parameter configuration via stateless DHCPv6.

NOTE: From the perspective of the UE, the procedure used to allocate a static IP address via NAS signalling is the same as the procedure used to allocate a dynamic IP address specified in clause 6.2.2.

Upon deactivation of the default bearer of a PDN connection, the UE shall locally release any IPv4 address or IPv6 prefix allocated to the UE for the corresponding PDN connection.

6.2.2 IP address allocation via NAS signalling

The UE shall set the PDN type IE in the PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST message, based on its IP stack configuration if it requests IP connectivity (e.g. the per APN settings specified in 3GPP TS 23.401 [10]) as follows:

a)- A UE, which is IPv6 and IPv4 capable and

– has not been allocated an IP address for this APN, shall set the PDN type IE to IPv4v6.

– has been allocated an IPv4 address for this APN and received the ESM cause #52 "single address bearers only allowed", and is requesting an IPv6 address, shall set the PDN type IE to IPv6.

– has been allocated an IPv6 address for this APN and received the ESM cause #52 "single address bearers only allowed", and is requesting an IPv4 address, shall set the PDN type IE to IPv4.

b) A UE, which is only IPv4 capable, shall set the PDN type IE to IPv4.

c) A UE, which is only IPv6 capable, shall set the PDN type IE to IPv6.

d) When the IP version capability of the UE is unknown in the UE (as in the case when the MT and TE are separated and the capability of the TE is not known in the MT), the UE shall set the PDN type IE to IPv4v6.

If the UE wants to use DHCPv4 for IPv4 address assignment, it shall indicate that to the network within the Protocol Configuration Options IE in the PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST.

If the UE wants to get PDN connectivity for non-IP, the UE shall set the PDN type IE in the PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST message to "non IP". If the UE wants to get PDN connectivity for Ethernet, the UE shall set the PDN type IE in the PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST message to "Ethernet".

On receipt of the PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST message sent by the UE, the network when allocating an IP address shall take into account the PDN type IE, the operator policies of the home and visited network, and the user’s subscription data and:

– if the UE requests for PDN type IPv4v6, but the subscription is limited to IPv4 only or IPv6 only for the requested APN, the network shall override the PDN type requested by the UE to be limited to a single address PDN type (IPv4 or IPv6). In the ACTIVATE DEFAULT EPS BEARER CONTEXT REQUEST message sent to the UE, the network shall set the PDN type value to either "IPv4" or "IPv6" and the ESM cause value to #50 "PDN type IPv4 only allowed", or #51 "PDN type IPv6 only allowed", respectively. The UE shall not subsequently initiate another UE requested PDN connectivity procedure to the same APN to obtain a PDN type different from the one allowed by the network until:

a) the UE is registered to a new PLMN;

b) void;

c) the UE is switched off; or

d) the USIM is removed.

NOTE 1: Request to send another PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST message with a specific PDN type has to come from upper layers.

– if the UE requests PDN type IPv4v6, but the PDN GW configuration dictates the use of IPv4 addressing only or IPv6 addressing only for this APN, the network shall override the PDN type requested by the UE to limit it to a single address PDN type (IPv4 or IPv6). In the ACTIVATE DEFAULT EPS BEARER CONTEXT REQUEST message sent to the UE, the network shall set the PDN type value to either "IPv4" or "IPv6" and the ESM cause value to #50 "PDN type IPv4 only allowed", or #51 "PDN type IPv6 only allowed", respectively. The UE shall not subsequently initiate another UE requested PDN connectivity procedure to the same APN to obtain a PDN type different from the one allowed by the network until:

a) the UE is registered to a new PLMN;

b) void;

c) the UE is switched off; or

d) the USIM is removed.

NOTE 2: Request to send another PDN CONNECTIVITY REQUEST message with a specific PDN type has to come from upper layers.

– if the UE requests PDN type IPv4v6, but the operator uses single addressing per bearer, e.g. due to interworking with nodes of earlier releases, the network shall override the PDN type requested by the UE to a single IP version only. In the ACTIVATE DEFAULT EPS BEARER CONTEXT REQUEST message sent to the UE, the network shall set the PDN type value to either "IPv4" or "IPv6" and the ESM cause value to #52 "single address bearers only allowed". The UE should subsequently request another PDN connection for the other IP version using the UE requested PDN connectivity procedure to the same APN with a single address PDN type (IPv4 or IPv6) other than the one already activated;

NOTE 3: If the MT and TE are separated, the UE might not be able to use ESM cause #52 "single address bearers only allowed" as a trigger for activating a second single-IP-stack EPS bearer context.

– if the network sets the PDN type to IPv4 or IPv4v6, the network shall include an IPv4 address in the PDN address information. In this case, if the IPv4 address is to be configured using DHCPv4, the network shall set the IPv4 address to 0.0.0.0; and

– if the network sets the PDN type to IPv6 or IPv4v6, the network shall include the interface identifier that the UE shall use for the link local address in the PDN address information.

The network shall include the PDN type and the PDN address information within the PDN address IE in the ACTIVATE DEFAULT EPS BEARER CONTEXT REQUEST message sent to the UE.