
5.1 Introduction to IPv6
This section describes the basic principle of IPv6.
Basic Concepts
Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), also called IP Next Generation (IPng), is the standard network
protocol of 2nd generation. It is designed by Internet Engineering Task Force as an upgraded
version of IPv4. The major feature of IPv6 is the larger address space: addresses in IPv6 are 128
bits long versus 32 bits in IPv4.
Overview of IPv6 Addresses
A 128-bit IPv6 address has two formats:
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X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X
In this format, a 128-bit IP address is divided into eight groups. The 16 bits of each group
are represented by four hexadecimal characters, that is, 0 to 9, and A to F. The groups are
separated by ":". Every "X" represents four hexadecimal characters.
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X:X:X:X:X:X:d.d.d.d
Addresses in this format are classified into two types:
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IPv4-compatible IPv6 addresses
–
IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses
IPv4-compatible IPv6 addresses are used to configure the IPv6 over IPv4 tunnel.
Each "X" stands for 16 bits that are represented by four hexadecimal characters. Each "d"
stands for 8 bits that are represented by decimal numbers. "d.d.d.d" is a standard IPv4
address.
An IPv6 address can be divided into two parts:
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Network prefix: n bits, equivalent to the network ID in the IPv4 address.
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Interface identifier: 128-n bits, equivalent to the host ID in the IPv4 address.
5.2 IPv6 Features Supported by the S2700
The S2700 supports the IPv6 protocol suite and TCP6 protocol suite.
IPv6 Features Supported by the S2700
The S2700 supports the setting of IPv6 addresses on a VLANIF, Loopback interface.
Each interface supports a maximum of 20 IPv6 addresses, including link-local addresses and
the global unicast addresses.
The link-local address is used in the neighbor discovery protocol and used in the communication
between the nodes on the local link in the stateless address auto-configuration. The packets
whose source or destination address is the link-local address are forwarded on only the local
link.
A link-local address can be set automatically or manually. After the command to enable the
system to automatically set link-local addresses is run, the system automatically sets a link-local
Quidway S2700 Series Ethernet Switches
Configuration Guide - IP Service
5 Basic Configurations of IPv6
Issue 01 (2011-07-15)
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