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3.4. Prefix Notation: Table 3-2

The document discusses prefix notation for IPv6 addresses. It explains that a prefix identifies a subnet or type of address and is represented by the high-order bits of an IPv6 address. The prefix notation appends the prefix length after the address, separated by a slash. It provides an example of a prefix, 2E78:DA53:1200::/40, and converts it to binary to illustrate the first 40 bits are the prefix. While compressed notation can be used, care must be taken as multiple ranges of zeros may exist within an address.

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51 views1 page

3.4. Prefix Notation: Table 3-2

The document discusses prefix notation for IPv6 addresses. It explains that a prefix identifies a subnet or type of address and is represented by the high-order bits of an IPv6 address. The prefix notation appends the prefix length after the address, separated by a slash. It provides an example of a prefix, 2E78:DA53:1200::/40, and converts it to binary to illustrate the first 40 bits are the prefix. While compressed notation can be used, care must be taken as multiple ranges of zeros may exist within an address.

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bbob koo
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Section 3.4.

Prefix Notation Page 1 of 1

3.4. Prefix Notation


The notation for prefixes has also been specified in RFC 4291. A global routing prefix is the high-order
bits of an IP address used to identify the subnet or a specific type of address (refer to Table 3-2). It
was called the format prefix in earlier RFCs. The prefix notation is very similar to the way IPv4
addresses are written in Classless Interdomain Routing (CIDR) notation, and it is also commonly used
for subnetted IPv4 addresses. The notation appends the prefix length, written as a number of bits with
a slash, which leads to the following format:

IPv6 address/prefix length

The prefix length specifies how many left-most bits of the address specify the prefix. This is another
way of noting a subnet mask. Remember, a subnet mask specifies the bits of the IPv4 address that
belong to the network ID. The prefix is used to identify the subnet that an interface belongs to and is
used by routers for forwarding. The following example explains how the prefix is interpreted. Consider
the IPv6 prefix notation 2E78:DA53:1200::/40. To understand this address, let's convert the hex into
binary as shown in Table 3-1.

Table 3-1. Understanding prefix notation


Hex notation Binary notation Number of bits
2E 78 0010 1110 0111 1000 16
DA 53 1101 1010 0101 0011 16
12 0001 0010 8

Total: 40

The compressed notation (replacing a sequence of zeros with a double colon) is also applicable to the
prefix representation. It should be used carefully, though, because there are often two or more ranges
of zeros within an address, and only one can be compressed.

To play with the example in the previous section, check the following prefix notation. The address is
2001:DB8:0000:0056:0000:ABCD:EF12:1234/64, but now we're just interested in the prefix of the address.
Lets find out whether the result is correct if we compress it as follows:

2001:DB8::56/64

In order to verify this notation, we'll expand the address again. If we follow the notation rules, we end
up with an address of 2001:DB8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0056, with 2001:DB8:0000:0000 for the 64-bit
prefix. So the compression leads to a wrong interpretation. It is not identical to the original address
and prefix. To make sure the address interpretation is unambiguous, we have to note it as follows:

2001:DB8:0:56::/64

mk:@MSITStore:C:\Users\muhammad.alamsyah\Desktop\OReilly.IPv6.Essentials.2nd.E... 10/10/2014

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