End customers are assigned either /48 networks or /56 networks.Īn IPv6 address based on the modified EUI 64 format allows inferences to be drawn about the underlying MAC address. Example:Ī subnetwork with the IPv6 addresses 2001:0820:9511:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 through 2001:0820:9511:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF can be described with the notation 2001:0820:9511::/48.Īs a rule, Internet providers (ISPs) are assigned by the RIR /32 networks, which in turn subdivide them into subnets. To still be able to perform a segmentation, the prefix length is defined and attached to the actual IPv6 address with a '/' (slash). The network or subnet mask known from IPv4 is completely replaced with IPv6. This means that the interface can be uniquely identified independently of the network prefix. The interface identifier identifies a host in this network and is made up from the 48-bit MAC address of the interface and converted to a 64-bit address. The latter 64 bits are called Interface Identifiers (IID).

The network prefix identifies the network, the subnet or the address range. The first 64 bits are used for routing and designate the network prefix. These blocks are each separated by a colon. IPv6 addresses consist of 8 blocks of 16 bits each with four-digit hexadecimal numbers. This address length allows an incredible number of 2^128 or 3,4 x 10^38 IPv6 addresses. IPv6, on the other hand, uses IPv6 addresses with a length of 128 bits.

This results in address space for approx. One of the main reasons for the development of IPv6 is the scarcity of public Internet addresses. Central functions of IPv6 are the addressing of network elements via so-called IPv6 addresses and packet forwarding between subnets (routing). This protocol version is intended to replace the previously used IP protocol version 4 (IPv4) and represents a standardized method for transmitting data packets in computer networks. IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) is an IP protocol version developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Convert mac address to ipv6 link local