An IPv6 address is represented as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons.
IPv6 addresses are 128-bit addresses. The preferred format is: x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x where each 'x' represents a 16-bit hexadecimal value. This results in addresses that range from 0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 to ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff.
Here's a breakdown:
- 128-bit Address Space: IPv6 uses a 128-bit address, significantly expanding the available address space compared to IPv4 (32-bit).
- Hexadecimal Representation: Each 16-bit section is written in hexadecimal (base-16). This allows for a more compact representation than binary.
- Colon-Hexadecimal Notation: The eight groups of hexadecimal numbers are separated by colons (:).
Example of a valid IPv6 address:
2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Rules for Shortening IPv6 Addresses:
To make IPv6 addresses more manageable, two rules are commonly applied:
- Leading Zero Suppression: Leading zeros within each 16-bit group can be omitted. For example, 0042 can be shortened to 42.
- Double Colon (::) for Zero Compression: A single double colon (::) can be used to represent one or more consecutive groups of all-zero (0000) segments. This can only be used once in an address to avoid ambiguity.
Example of a shortened IPv6 address (based on the previous example):
2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334 (compressing the four zero groups into "::")
These shortening rules help simplify the representation and readability of IPv6 addresses.
