IPv6 address types
| Prefix | Designation | IPv4 equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| ::/128 | Unspecified This address may only be used as a source address by an initializing host before it has learned its own addresses. |
0.0.0.0 |
| ::1/128 | Loopback This address is used when a host talks to itself over IPv6. This often happens when one program sends data to another. |
127.0.0.1 |
| ::ffff/96
Example: ::ffff:192.0.2.47 |
IPv4-mapped Used to embed IPv4 addresses in an IPv6 address. One use for this is in a dual-stack transition scenario where IPv4 addresses can be mapped into an IPv6 address. See RFC 4038 for more details. |
No IPv4 equivalent. However, you can search for the mapped IPv4 address in the relevant Whois Database. |
| fc00::/7
Example: fdf8:f535:82e4::53 |
Unique Local Addresses (ULAs) Reserved for local use in home and enterprise environments (not public address space). |
Private, or RFC 1918 address space:
|
| fe80::/10
Example: fe80::200:5aee:feaa:20a2 |
Link-Local Addresses
Used on a single link or a non-routed common access network, such as an Ethernet LAN. They do not need to be unique outside of that link. May appear as the source or destination of an IPv6 packet. Routers must not forward IPv6 packets if the source or destination contains a link-local address. |
169.254.0.0/16 |
| 2001:0000::/32
Example: 2001:0000:4136:e378:8000: |
Teredo This is a mapped address allowing IPv6 tunnelling through IPv4 NATs. The address is formed using the Teredo prefix, the server’s unique IPv4 address, flags describing the type of NAT, the obscured client port, and the client IPv4 address, which is usually a private address. It is possible to reverse the process and identify the IPv4 address of the relay server, which can then be looked up in the relevant Whois Database. |
No IPv4 equivalent |
| 2001:0002::/48
Example: 2001:0002:6c:ab::a |
Benchmarking Reserved for use in documentation. They should not be used as source or destination addresses. |
198.18.0.0/15 |
| 2002::/16
Example: 2002:cb0a:3cdd:1::1 |
6to4 A 6to4 gateway adds its IPv4 address to this 2002::/16, creating a unique /48 prefix. As the IPv4 address of the gateway router is used to compose the IPv6 prefix, it is possible to reverse the process and identify the IPv4 address, which can then be looked up in the relevant Whois Database. See how it works on Potaroo. |
There is no IPv4 equivalent, but 192.88.99.0/24 has been reserved as the 6to4 relay anycast address prefix by the IETF. |
| 2001:db8::/32
Example: 2001:db8:8:4::2 |
Documentation used in examples and documentation. These should never be source or destination addresses. |
|
| 2000::/3 | Global Unicast The operators of networks using these addresses can be found using the RIR Whois servers listed in the IANA registry. |
No equivalent single IPv4 block |
| ff00::/8
Example: ff01:0:0:0:0:0:0:2 |
Multicast Used to identify multicast groups. They should only be used as destination addresses, never as source addresses. |
224.0.0.0/4 |