Chapter

IPv6 Addressing
09
 Module Objectives
Module Title: IPv6 Addressing

Module Objective: Implement an IPv6 Addressing scheme.

Topic Title Topic Objective

Explain the need for IPv6 addressing.

IPv4 Issues

Explain how IPv6 addresses are

IPv6 Address Representation represented.

Compare types of IPv6 network addresses.

IPv6 Address Types

Explain how to Configure static global

GUA and LLA Static Configuration unicast and link-local IPv6 network
addresses.
Explain how to configure global unicast
Dynamic Addressing for IPv6 GUAs
addresses dynamically.
 Module Objectives (Cont.)
Module Title: IPv6 Addressing

Module Objective: Implement an IPv6 Addressing scheme.

Topic Title Topic Objective

Dynamic Addressing for IPv6 LLAs Configure link-local addresses dynamically.

IPv6 Multicast Addresses Identify IPv6 addresses.

Subnet an IPv6 Network Implement a subnetted IPv6 addressing scheme.

9.1 IPv4 Issues
 Need for IPv6

• IPv4 is running out of addresses.

IPv6 is the successor to IPv4. IPv6
has a much larger 128-bit address
space.
• The development of IPv6 also
included fixes for IPv4 limitations
and other enhancements.
• With an increasing internet
population, a limited IPv4 address
space, issues with NAT and the
IoT, the time has come to begin
the transition to IPv6.
 IPv4 and IPv6 Coexistence

Both IPv4 and IPv6 will coexist in the near future and the transition will
take several years.
The IETF has created various protocols and tools to help network
administrators migrate their networks to IPv6. These migration techniques
can be divided into three categories:
• Dual stack -The devices run both IPv4 and IPv6 protocol stacks simultaneously.
• Tunneling – A method of transporting an IPv6 packet over an IPv4 network.
The IPv6 packet is encapsulated inside an IPv4 packet.
• Translation - Network Address Translation 64 (NAT64) allows IPv6-enabled
devices to communicate with IPv4-enabled devices using a translation
technique similar to NAT for IPv4.

Note: Tunneling and translation are for transitioning to native IPv6 and should only be used
where needed. The goal should be native IPv6 communications from source to destination.
9.2 IPv6 Address Representation
 IPv6 Addressing Formats

• IPv6 addresses are 128 bits in length and written in hexadecimal.

• IPv6 addresses are not case-sensitive and can be written in either
lowercase or uppercase.
• The preferred format for writing an IPv6 address is x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x, with
each “x” consisting of four hexadecimal values.
• In IPv6, a hextet is the unofficial term used to refer to a segment of 16
bits, or four hexadecimal values.
• Examples of IPv6 addresses in the preferred format:
2001:0db8:0000:1111:0000:0000:0000:0200
2001:0db8:0000:00a3:abcd:0000:0000:1234
 Rule 1 – Omit Leading Zero
The first rule to help reduce the notation of IPv6 addresses is to omit any leading 0s
(zeros).
Examples:
• 01ab can be represented as 1ab
• 09f0 can be represented as 9f0
• 0a00 can be represented as a00
• 00ab can be represented as ab

Note: This rule only applies to leading 0s, NOT to trailing 0s, otherwise the address
would be ambiguous.

Type Format
Preferred 2001 : 0db8 : 0000 : 1111 : 0000 : 0000 : 0000 : 0200
No leading zeros 2001 : db8 : 0 : 1111 : 0 : 0 : 0 : 200
 Rule 2 – Double Colon
A double colon (::) can replace any single, contiguous string of one
or more 16-bit hextets consisting of all zeros.
Example:
• 2001:db8:cafe:1:0:0:0:1 (leading 0s omitted) could be represented as
2001:db8:cafe:1::1

Note: The double colon (::) can only be used once within an address, otherwise there
would be more than one possible resulting address.

Type Format

Preferred 2001 : 0db8 : 0000 : 1111 : 0000 : 0000 : 0000 : 0200

Compressed 2001:db8:0:1111::200
9.3 IPv6 Address Types
 Unicast, Multicast, Anycast
There are three broad categories of IPv6 addresses:
• Unicast – Unicast uniquely identifies an interface on an IPv6-
enabled device.
• Multicast – Multicast is used to send a single IPv6 packet to
multiple destinations.
• Anycast – This is any IPv6 unicast address that can be assigned
to multiple devices. A packet sent to an anycast address is
routed to the nearest device having that address.

Note: Unlike IPv4, IPv6 does not have a broadcast address.

However, there is an IPv6 all-nodes multicast address that
essentially gives the same result.
 IPv6 Prefix Length
Prefix length is represented in slash notation and is used to indicate the
network portion of an IPv6 address.
The IPv6 prefix length can range from 0 to 128. The recommended IPv6 prefix
length for LANs and most other types of networks is /64.

Note: It is strongly recommended to use a 64-bit Interface ID for most networks.

This is because stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC) uses 64 bits for the
Interface ID. It also makes subnetting easier to create and manage.
 Types of IPv6 Unicast Addresses

Unlike IPv4 devices that have only a single

address, IPv6 addresses typically have two
unicast addresses:

• Global Unicast Address (GUA) – This is

similar to a public IPv4 address. These
are globally unique, internet-routable
addresses.
• Link-local Address (LLA) - Required for
every IPv6-enabled device and used to
communicate with other devices on the
same local link. LLAs are not routable
and are confined to a single link.
 A Note About the Unique Local Address
The IPv6 unique local addresses (range fc00::/7 to fdff::/7)
have some similarity to RFC 1918 private addresses for IPv4,
but there are significant differences:
• Unique local addresses are used for local addressing within a site or
between a limited number of sites.
• Unique local addresses can be used for devices that will never need to
access another network.
• Unique local addresses are not globally routed or translated to a global
IPv6 address.
Note: Many sites use the private nature of RFC 1918 addresses to attempt to
secure or hide their network from potential security risks. This was never the
intended use of ULAs.
 IPv6 GUA
IPv6 global unicast addresses (GUAs) are globally unique and routable on
the IPv6 internet.
• Currently, only GUAs with the first three bits of 001 or 2000::/3 are being
assigned.
• Currently available GUAs begins with a decimal 2 or a 3 (This is only 1/8th of the
total available IPv6 address space).
 IPv6 GUA Structure
Global Routing Prefix:The global routing prefix is the prefix, or network,
portion of the address that is assigned by the provider, such as an ISP, to a
customer or site. The global routing prefix will vary depending on ISP
policies.
Subnet ID:
• The Subnet ID field is the area between the Global Routing Prefix and
the Interface ID. The Subnet ID is used by an organization to identify
subnets within its site.
Interface ID:
• The IPv6 interface ID is equivalent to the host portion of an IPv4
address. It is strongly recommended that in most cases /64 subnets
should be used, which creates a 64-bit interface ID.

Note: IPv6 allows the all-0s and all-1s host addresses can be assigned to a device. The all-0s
address is reserved as a Subnet-Router anycast address, and should be assigned only to
routers.
 IPv6 LLA
An IPv6 link-local address (LLA) enables a device to communicate with other
IPv6-enabled devices on the same link and only on that link (subnet).
• Packets with a source or destination LLA cannot be routed.

• Every IPv6-enabled network interface must have an LLA.

• If an LLA is not configured manually on an interface, the device will automatically

create one.
• IPv6 LLAs are in the fe80::/10 range.
9.4 GUA and LLA Static
Configuration
 Static GUA Configuration on a Router

Most IPv6 configuration and verification commands in the Cisco IOS are
similar to their IPv4 counterparts. In many cases, the only difference is the
use of ipv6 in place of ip within the commands.
• The command to configure an IPv6 GUA on an interface is: ipv6 address
ipv6-address/prefix-length.
• The example shows commands to configure a GUA on the G0/0/0
interface on R1:

R1(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0/0

R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:db8:acad:1::1/64
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
R1(config-if)# exit
 Static GUA Configuration on a Windows Host

• Manually configuring the

IPv6 address on a host is
similar to configuring an IPv4
address.
• The GUA or LLA of the router
interface can be used as the
default gateway. Best
practice is to use the LLA.

Note: When DHCPv6 or SLAAC is

used, the LLA of the router will
automatically be specified as the
default gateway address.
 Static GUA Configuration of a Link-Local Unicast Address

Configuring the LLA manually lets you create an address that is recognizable and
easier to remember.
• LLAs can be configured manually using the ipv6 address ipv6-link-local-address
link-local command.
• The example shows commands to configure a LLA on the G0/0/0 interface on
R1
R1(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0/0
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address fe80::1:1 link-local
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
R1(config-if)# exit

Note: The same LLA can be configured on each link as long as it is unique on that link. Common
practice is to create a different LLA on each interface of the router to make it easy to identify the
router and the specific interface.
9.5 Dynamic Addressing for IPv6 GUAs
 RS and RA Messages
Devices obtain GUA addresses dynamically through Internet Control
Message Protocol version 6 (ICMPv6) messages.
• Router Solicitation (RS) messages are sent by host devices to discover
IPv6 routers
• Router Advertisement (RA) messages are sent by routers to inform hosts
on how to obtain an IPv6 GUA and provide useful network information
such as:
• Network prefix and prefix length
• Default gateway address
• DNS addresses and domain name
• The RA can provide three methods for configuring an IPv6 GUA :
• SLAAC
• SLAAC with stateless DHCPv6 server
• Stateful DHCPv6 (no SLAAC)
 Method 1: SLAAC
• SLAAC allows a device to configure a GUA without the services of DHCPv6.
• Devices obtain the necessary information to configure a GUA from the
ICMPv6 RA messages of the local router.
• The prefix is provided by the RA and the device uses either the EUI-64 or
random generation method to create an interface ID.
 Method 2: SLAAC and Stateless DHCP
An RA can instruct a device to use both SLAAC and stateless DHCPv6.
The RA message suggests devices use the following:
• SLAAC to create its own IPv6 GUA
• The router LLA, which is the RA source IPv6 address, as the default
gateway address
• A stateless DHCPv6 server to obtain other information such as a DNS
server address and a domain name
 Method 3: Stateful DHCPv6
An RA can instruct a device to use stateful DHCPv6 only.
Stateful DHCPv6 is similar to DHCP for IPv4. A device can automatically
receive a GUA, prefix length, and the addresses of DNS servers from a
stateful DHCPv6 server.
The RA message suggests devices use the following:
• The router LLA, which is the RA source IPv6 address, for the default
gateway address.
• A stateful DHCPv6 server to obtain a GUA, DNS server address, domain
name and other necessary information.
 EUI-64 Process vs. Randomly Generated

• When the RA message is

either SLAAC or SLAAC with
stateless DHCPv6, the client
must generate its own
interface ID.
• The interface ID can be
created using the EUI-64
process or a randomly
generated 64-bit number.
 EUI-64 Process

The IEEE defined the Extended Unique Identifier (EUI) or modified EUI-64
process which performs the following:
• A 16 bit value of fffe (in hexadecimal) is inserted into the middle of the
48-bit Ethernet MAC address of the client.
• The 7th bit of the client MAC address is reversed from binary 0 to 1.

• Example:

48-bit MAC fc:99:47:75:ce:e0

EUI-64 Interface ID fe:99:47:ff:fe:75:ce:e0

 Randomly Generated Interface IDs
Depending upon the operating system, a device may use a randomly generated
interface ID instead of using the MAC address and the EUI-64 process.
Beginning with Windows Vista, Windows uses a randomly generated interface ID
instead of one created with EUI-64.

C:\> ipconfig
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:db8:acad:1:50a5:8a35:a5bb:66e1
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::50a5:8a35:a5bb:66e1
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : fe80::1
C:\>

Note: To ensure the uniqueness of any IPv6 unicast address, the client may use a process
known as Duplicate Address Detection (DAD). This is similar to an ARP request for its own
address. If there is no reply, then the address is unique.
9.6 Dynamic Addressing for IPv6 LLAs
 Dynamic LLAs
• All IPv6 interfaces must have an IPv6 LLA.
• Like IPv6 GUAs, LLAs can be configured dynamically.
• The figure shows the LLA is dynamically created using the fe80::/10
prefix and the interface ID using the EUI-64 process, or a randomly
generated 64-bit number.
 Dynamic LLAs on Windows
Operating systems, such as Windows, will typically use the same method for
both a SLAAC-created GUA and a dynamically assigned LLA.
EUI-64 Generated Interface ID:
C:\> ipconfig
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:db8:acad:1:fc99:47ff:fe75:cee0
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::fc99:47ff:fe75:cee0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : fe80::1
C:\>

Random 64-bit Generated Interface ID:

C:\> ipconfig
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . :
2001:db8:acad:1:50a5:8a35:a5bb:66e1
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::50a5:8a35:a5bb:66e1
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : fe80::1
C:\>
 Dynamic LLAs on Cisco Routers
Cisco routers automatically create an IPv6 LLA whenever a GUA is assigned
to the interface. By default, Cisco IOS routers use EUI-64 to generate the
interface ID for all LLAs on IPv6 interfaces.
Here is an example of a LLA dynamically configured on the G0/0/0 interface
of R1:

R1# show interface gigabitEthernet 0/0/0

GigabitEthernet0/0/0 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is ISR4221-2x1GE, address is 7079.b392.3640 (bia 7079.b392.3640)
(Output omitted)
R1# show ipv6 interface brief
GigabitEthernet0/0/0 [up/up]
FE80::7279:B3FF:FE92:3640
2001:DB8:ACAD:1::1
 Verify IPv6 Address Configuration
• show ipv6 interface brief
• show ipv6 route
• ping
 Packet Tracer – Configure IPv6 Addressing
In this Packet Tracer, you will do the following:
▪ Configure IPv6 Addressing on the router

▪ Configure IPv6 Addressing on the servers

▪ Configure IPv6 Addressing on the clients

▪ Test and verify network connectivity

9.7 IPv6 Multicast Addresses
 Assigned IPv6 Multicast Addresses
IPv6 multicast addresses have the prefix ff00::/8. There are two types of IPv6
multicast addresses:
• Well-Known multicast addresses
• Solicited node multicast addresses

Note: Multicast addresses can only be destination addresses and not source addresses.
 Well-Known IPv6 Multicast Addresses

Well-known IPv6 multicast addresses are assigned and are

reserved for predefined groups of devices.
There are two common IPv6 Assigned multicast groups:
• ff02::1 All-nodes multicast group - This is a multicast group that all
IPv6-enabled devices join. A packet sent to this group is received and
processed by all IPv6 interfaces on the link or network.
• ff02::2 All-routers multicast group - This is a multicast group that all
IPv6 routers join. A router becomes a member of this group when it is
enabled as an IPv6 router with the ipv6 unicast-routing global
configuration command.
 Solicited-Node IPv6 Multicast

• A solicited-node multicast
address is similar to the all-
nodes multicast address.
• A solicited-node multicast
address is mapped to a special
Ethernet multicast address.
• The Ethernet NIC can filter the
frame by examining the
destination MAC address
without sending it to the IPv6
process to see if the device is
the intended target of the
IPv6 packet.
 Lab – Identify IPv6 Addresses
In this lab, you complete the following objectives:
• Identify the Different Types of IPv6 Addresses

• Examine a Host IPv6 Network Interface and Address

• Practice IPv6 Address Abbreviation

9.8 Subnet an IPv6 Network
 Subnet Using the Subnet ID

IPv6 was designed with subnetting in mind.

• A separate subnet ID field in the IPv6 GUA is used to create subnets.
• The subnet ID field is the area between the Global Routing Prefix and
the interface ID.
 IPv6 Subnetting Example

Given the 2001:db8:acad::/48 global

routing prefix with a 16 bit subnet ID.
• Allows 65,536 /64 subnets
• The global routing prefix is the
same for all subnets.
• Only the subnet ID hextet is
incremented in hexadecimal for each
subnet.
 IPv6 Subnet Allocation
The example topology requires five subnets, one for each LAN as well as for
the serial link between R1 and R2.
The five IPv6 subnets were allocated, with the subnet ID field 0001 through
0005. Each /64 subnet will provide more addresses than will ever be needed.
 Router Configured with IPv6 Subnets
The example shows that each of the router interfaces on R1 has been
configured to be on a different IPv6 subnet.

R1(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0/0

R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:db8:acad:1::1/64
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
R1(config-if)# exit
R1(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0/1
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:db8:acad:2::1/64
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
R1(config-if)# exit
R1(config)# interface serial 0/1/0
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:db8:acad:3::1/64
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
9.9 Module Practice and Quiz
 Packet Tracer – Implement a Subnetted IPv6 Addressing Scheme

In this Packet Tracer, you will do the following:

▪ Determine IPv6 subnets and addressing scheme

▪ Configure IPv6 addressing on routers and PCs

▪ Verify IPv6 connectivity

 Lab – Configure IPv6 Addresses on Network Devices

In this lab, you complete the following objectives:

• Set up the topology and configure basic router and switch settings

• Configure IPv6 addresses manually

• Verify end-to-end connectivity

 What did I learn in this module?
• IPv4 has a theoretical maximum of 4.3 billion addresses.
• The IETF has created various protocols and tools to help network administrators migrate
their networks to IPv6. The migration techniques can be divided into three categories: dual
stack, tunneling, and translation.
• IPv6 addresses are 128 bits in length and written as a string of hexadecimal values.
• The preferred format for writing an IPv6 address is x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x, with each “x” consisting
of four hexadecimal values.
• There are three types of IPv6 addresses: unicast, multicast, and anycast.
• An IPv6 unicast address uniquely identifies an interface on an IPv6-enabled device.
• IPv6 global unicast addresses (GUAs) are globally unique and routable on the IPv6 internet.
• An IPv6 link-local address (LLA) enables a device to communicate with other IPv6-enabled
devices on the same link and only on that link (subnet).
• The command to configure an IPv6 GUA on an interface is ipv6 address ipv6-
address/prefix-length.
• A device obtains a GUA dynamically through ICMPv6 messages. IPv6 routers periodically
send out ICMPv6 RA messages, every 200 seconds, to all IPv6-enabled devices on the
network.
 What did I learn in this module? (Cont.)
• RA messages have three methods: SLAAC, SLAAC with a stateless DHCPv6 server, and
stateful DHCPv6 (no SLAAC).
• The interface ID can be created using the EUI-64 process or a randomly generated 64-bit
number.
• The EUIs process uses the 48-bit Ethernet MAC address of the client and inserts another
16 bits in the middle of MAC address to create a 64-bit interface ID.
• Depending upon the operating system, a device may use a randomly generated interface
ID.
• All IPv6 devices must have an IPv6 LLA. An LLA can be configured manually or created
dynamically.
• Cisco routers automatically create an IPv6 LLA whenever a GUA is assigned to the
interface.
• There are two types of IPv6 multicast addresses: well-known multicast addresses and
solicited node multicast addresses.
• Two commonIPv6 assigned multicast groups are: ff02::1 All-nodes multicast group and
ff02::2 All-routers multicast group.
• A solicited-node multicast address is similar to the all-nodes multicast address. The
advantage of a solicited-node multicast address is that it is mapped to a special Ethernet
multicast address.
• IPv6 was designed with subnetting in mind. A separate subnet ID field in the IPv6 GUA is
used to create subnets.