IPv6 ADDRESSING
IPv6 has 128-bit addresses. A 128-bit address adds network prefix and host suffix. An benefit of IPv6 addressing is that there is address classes i.e. prefix/suffix boundary may fall anywhere.
Following are special kinds of addresses, IPv6 provides:
Unicast: It is used for single receiver computer.
Multicast: It is used for multiple receivers; possibly not at similar site.
Cluster: This kind of address is used for collection of devices with same prefix, datagram is send to one out of cluster.
IPv6 ADDRESS NOTATION:
128-bit addresses unwidely in dotted decimal; needs 16 numbers:
105.220.136.100.255.255.255.255.0.0.18.128.140.10.255.255
Groups of 16-bit numbers in hex differentiate by colons - colon hexadecimal.
69DC: 8864:FFFF: FFFF: 0:1280:8C0A:FFFF
Zero-compression - series of zeroes shown by two colons
FF0C: 0:0:0:0:0:0:B1
FF0C::B1
IPv6 address with 96 leading zeros is stopped to hold an IPv4 address.