However, the use of two colons to represent successive zero fields can be used only once in an address.

IPv6 addresses are often specified by a prefix that identifies a fixed value associated with the first part of the address, followed by a prefix length that specifies the number of bits in the prefix. In IPv6 addressing, a prefix length of 64 typically specifies a network or subnet. A prefix with a prefix length less than 64 typically identifies a portion of the IPv6 address space or a route.

The following is a list of those reserved portions of the IPv6 address space:

●2001:DB8::/32 (reserved for use only as examples in documentation)

●FE80::/10 (reserved for link-local addresses only)

IPv6 addresses do not use subnet masks as in IPv4 formats. Instead, the prefix length can specify an entire network/subnet, or the network portion of a complete host address, as in the following example:

2001:DB8:1234:5678:abcd::ef01/64

In the example, /64 is the prefix length and indicates that 2001:DB8:1234:5678 is the network/ subnet for the specific host uniquely identified by abcd::ef01.

For a more thorough discussion of IPv6 address formats and types, see the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) IPv6 RFCs, or see the documentation supplied with your IPv6-supported system or router.

IPv6 address configuration

Most print server addresses are automatically configured in accordance with the IPv6 standards. If necessary, the print server allows manual entry of an IPv6 address by using the printer control panel or the HP Embedded Web Server. If the print server is enabled for IPv6 operation, all automatically configured IPv6 addresses are active. However, by default, manually configured addresses are disabled and must be manually enabled.

Stateless addresses assigned to the print server are under the control of a router. Stateful addresses are normally assigned by a DHCPv6 server under the direction of a router. However, you can configure the print server to always use stateful configuration, or to use stateful configuration if stateless configuration fails.

Link-local address

IPv6 link-local addresses are automatically self-configured and allow IPv6 communications between hosts connected to the same link (routers do not forward link-local addresses). Because each IPv6 host on a local network assigns itself a link-local address, a router-based infrastructure is not required.

When the print server creates a link-local address, the link-local prefix FE80::/10 is combined with a 64-bit host address, derived from the print server's MAC address, in accordance with a predefined algorithm.

For example, a print server with MAC address 00–0E-7F-E8–01–DD results in the following link-local address:

FE80::20e:7FFF:FEE8:1DD

The use of link-local IPv6 addressing is beneficial for small, configuration free networks.

16 Chapter 3 TCP/IP configuration

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