diff --git a/include/ircd/net/ipaddr.h b/include/ircd/net/ipaddr.h
index b31f34626..17c00eecb 100644
--- a/include/ircd/net/ipaddr.h
+++ b/include/ircd/net/ipaddr.h
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ namespace ircd::net
 	bool operator<(const ipaddr &, const ipaddr &);
 	bool operator==(const ipaddr &, const ipaddr &);
 
-	string_view string(const mutable_buffer &out, const uint32_t &);
-	string_view string(const mutable_buffer &out, const uint128_t &);
+	string_view string_ip4(const mutable_buffer &out, const uint32_t &);
+	string_view string_ip6(const mutable_buffer &out, const uint128_t &);
+	string_view string(const mutable_buffer &out, const ipaddr &);
 }
 
 union ircd::net::ipaddr
diff --git a/ircd/net.cc b/ircd/net.cc
index 31528fbdf..b5436f978 100644
--- a/ircd/net.cc
+++ b/ircd/net.cc
@@ -3687,7 +3687,17 @@ ircd::net::ipport::ipport(const uint128_t &ip,
 
 ircd::string_view
 ircd::net::string(const mutable_buffer &buf,
-                  const uint32_t &ip)
+                  const ipaddr &ipaddr)
+{
+	throw not_implemented
+	{
+		"string(ipaddr): not implemented yet"
+	};
+}
+
+ircd::string_view
+ircd::net::string_ip4(const mutable_buffer &buf,
+                      const uint32_t &ip)
 {
 	const auto len
 	{
@@ -3698,8 +3708,8 @@ ircd::net::string(const mutable_buffer &buf,
 }
 
 ircd::string_view
-ircd::net::string(const mutable_buffer &buf,
-                  const uint128_t &ip)
+ircd::net::string_ip6(const mutable_buffer &buf,
+                      const uint128_t &ip)
 {
 	const auto &pun
 	{