Lab 04 — IPv6 Addressing and Connectivity

Mission Information

Item	Details
Lab	04
Lab Name	IPv6 Addressing and Connectivity
Track	CompTIA Network+
Difficulty	Beginner–Intermediate
Estimated Time	100–130 minutes
Primary Role	Network Technician / Junior Network Administrator
Environment	Network+ Virtual Lab
Primary Systems	NETPLUS-ADMIN, NETPLUS-CLIENT01, NETPLUS-SERVER01
Primary Tools	Windows/Linux Networking Tools, Wireshark, ping, traceroute
Skills	IPv6 Addressing, Prefixes, Link-Local, Global Unicast, ICMPv6, Neighbor Discovery, SLAAC, Dual Stack, Troubleshooting

Mission Objective: Understand how IPv6 addressing and communication work by configuring IPv6 interfaces, identifying address types, testing connectivity, analyzing Neighbor Discovery and ICMPv6, and troubleshooting common IPv6 problems.

Mission Scenario

GHC Enterprise is preparing its network for IPv6.

The existing lab currently relies on IPv4:

10.10.10.0/24

The network team wants to introduce IPv6 while keeping IPv4 operational.

Your task is to configure a small:

Dual-Stack Network

where each device can communicate using:

IPv4
+
IPv6

You will configure IPv6 addresses, investigate link-local addressing, inspect Neighbor Discovery traffic, analyze ICMPv6, and troubleshoot incorrect IPv6 configuration.

Mission Objectives

By completing this lab, you will be able to:

understand the 128-bit IPv6 address structure
interpret hexadecimal IPv6 notation
compress IPv6 addresses
expand compressed IPv6 addresses
understand IPv6 prefix lengths
identify global unicast addresses
identify link-local addresses
recognize multicast addresses
recognize loopback and unspecified addresses
configure static IPv6 addresses
inspect IPv6 interfaces
test IPv6 connectivity
understand Neighbor Discovery
understand ICMPv6
understand Router Solicitation and Router Advertisement concepts
understand SLAAC
understand dual-stack networking
capture IPv6 traffic with Wireshark
troubleshoot IPv6 connectivity

1. Review the Existing Lab

Current IPv4 environment:

NETPLUS-ADMIN
10.10.10.10/24

NETPLUS-CLIENT01
10.10.10.20/24

NETPLUS-SERVER01
10.10.10.30/24

All systems remain connected to:

NETPLUS-LAB

You will add IPv6 without removing IPv4.

2. Understand IPv6 Address Size

IPv4 uses:

32 bits

IPv6 uses:

128 bits

This dramatically expands the address space.

Conceptually:

IPv4
32 bits

IPv6
128 bits

3. Understand IPv6 Hexadecimal Notation

IPv6 uses:

Hexadecimal

instead of decimal octets.

Hexadecimal values are:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F

An IPv6 address contains eight groups called:

Hextets

Example:

2001:0db8:0000:0000:0211:22ff:fe33:4455

4. Understand Hextets

Each hextet contains:

16 bits

There are:

8 hextets

Therefore:

8 × 16
=
128 bits

Example:

2001 : 0db8 : 0000 : 0000 : 0211 : 22ff : fe33 : 4455

5. Understand IPv6 Compression Rule 1

Leading zeros inside a hextet may be removed.

Example:

0db8

becomes:

db8

And:

becomes:

Therefore:

2001:0db8:0000:0001:0000:0000:0000:0010

can first become:

2001:db8:0:1:0:0:0:10

6. Understand IPv6 Compression Rule 2

One continuous sequence of all-zero hextets can be replaced with:

::

Example:

2001:db8:0:0:0:0:0:10

becomes:

2001:db8::10

Important:

:: should normally be used only once in an IPv6 address because otherwise expansion would become ambiguous.

7. Expand an IPv6 Address

Given:

2001:db8::10

expand it to eight hextets:

2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0010

8. Compression Practice

Compress:

2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0001

Answer:

2001:db8::1

Compress:

2001:0db8:0000:0001:0000:0000:0000:0010

Answer:

2001:db8:0:1::10

9. Understand IPv6 Prefix Lengths

IPv6 uses CIDR-style prefix notation.

Example:

2001:db8:10:1::10/64

means:

64 Network Bits
+
64 Interface Bits

A /64 is extremely common on IPv6 LAN segments.

10. Build the IPv6 Lab Address Plan

Use the documentation prefix:

2001:db8:10:10::/64

for the lab.

Assign:

System	IPv6 Address
NETPLUS-ADMIN	`2001:db8:10:10::10/64`
NETPLUS-CLIENT01	`2001:db8:10:10::20/64`
NETPLUS-SERVER01	`2001:db8:10:10::30/64`

2001:db8::/32 is reserved for documentation and training examples, making it appropriate for this lab.

11. Understand Global Unicast Addresses

Global unicast IPv6 addresses are conceptually similar to routable IPv4 addresses.

Typical global unicast space falls under:

2000::/3

For this isolated lab, you are using documentation addresses instead of globally routed production addresses.

12. Understand Link-Local Addresses

IPv6 interfaces automatically use link-local addresses beginning with:

fe80::

typically represented conceptually as:

fe80::/10

These addresses are used for communication on the local link.

Examples:

fe80::a00:27ff:fe12:3456

Link-local addresses are not normally routed across IPv6 routers.

13. Inspect Existing IPv6 Addresses on Linux

On NETPLUS-ADMIN:

ip -6 addr

Look for:

inet6 fe80::

Even before manually configuring global addresses, a link-local address may already exist.

14. Inspect IPv6 on Windows

On NETPLUS-CLIENT01:

ipconfig

or:

ipconfig /all

Look for:

Link-local IPv6 Address

and any other IPv6 addresses.

15. Identify the IPv6 Loopback Address

IPv6 loopback is:

::1

This is equivalent in purpose to IPv4:

127.0.0.1

Test on Linux:

ping -6 ::1

On Windows:

ping ::1

16. Understand the Unspecified Address

IPv6 unspecified address:

::

It means:

No address specified

It is conceptually similar to:

0.0.0.0

in some IPv4 contexts.

17. Understand IPv6 Multicast

IPv6 makes extensive use of multicast.

Multicast addresses begin with:

ff00::/8

Examples include multicast groups used by IPv6 control protocols.

IPv6 does not use traditional broadcast in the same way IPv4 does.

18. IPv4 Broadcast vs IPv6 Multicast

IPv4 commonly uses:

Broadcast

IPv6 instead relies heavily on:

Multicast

and:

Neighbor Discovery

This is an important architectural difference.

19. Configure IPv6 on NETPLUS-ADMIN

Identify the lab interface:

ip link

Then configure:

sudo ip -6 addr add 2001:db8:10:10::10/64 dev <interface>

Ensure the interface is up:

sudo ip link set <interface> up

Verify:

ip -6 addr show dev <interface>

20. Configure NETPLUS-SERVER01

On the server:

sudo ip -6 addr add 2001:db8:10:10::30/64 dev <interface>

Verify:

ip -6 addr

21. Configure NETPLUS-CLIENT01

On Windows, assign:

IPv6 Address:
2001:db8:10:10::20

Prefix Length:
64

For this local-only exercise, a default gateway is not required for same-subnet communication.

22. Verify the Addressing Table

Your environment should now contain:

System	IPv4	IPv6
ADMIN	10.10.10.10/24	2001:db8:10:10::10/64
CLIENT01	10.10.10.20/24	2001:db8:10:10::20/64
SERVER01	10.10.10.30/24	2001:db8:10:10::30/64

This is:

Dual Stack

23. Understand Dual Stack

Dual stack means systems operate:

IPv4
+
IPv6

simultaneously.

Applications may choose either protocol depending on:

DNS results
operating-system preference
destination capability
network availability

24. Test IPv6 from ADMIN to CLIENT01

Run:

ping -6 2001:db8:10:10::20

Expected:

Successful replies

25. Test IPv6 to SERVER01

Run:

ping -6 2001:db8:10:10::30

Verify successful connectivity.

26. Test from Windows

From NETPLUS-CLIENT01:

ping 2001:db8:10:10::10

Then:

ping 2001:db8:10:10::30

27. Build the IPv6 Connectivity Matrix

Source	Destination	IPv6 Result
ADMIN	CLIENT01	Pass / Fail
ADMIN	SERVER01	Pass / Fail
CLIENT01	ADMIN	Pass / Fail
CLIENT01	SERVER01	Pass / Fail
SERVER01	ADMIN	Pass / Fail
SERVER01	CLIENT01	Pass / Fail

28. Test Link-Local Connectivity

Identify the link-local IPv6 address of NETPLUS-SERVER01.

Example:

fe80::abcd:1234:5678:90ab

When using a link-local destination, the interface may need to be specified because the address is valid only on a particular link.

Linux example:

ping -6 fe80::<server-address>%<interface>

Windows may use an interface scope identifier such as:

fe80::1234%12

29. Understand Scope IDs

Because multiple interfaces can independently have:

fe80::

addresses, the operating system may need to know:

Which interface?

This is why link-local addresses often appear with:

%interface

or:

%interface-index

30. View the IPv6 Routing Table on Linux

Run:

ip -6 route

You should see a route for:

2001:db8:10:10::/64

through the lab interface.

31. View the IPv6 Routing Table on Windows

Run:

route print -6

or:

Get-NetRoute -AddressFamily IPv6

Look for the directly connected /64.

32. Understand IPv6 Directly Connected Routes

When the interface has:

2001:db8:10:10::10/64

the system knows:

2001:db8:10:10::/64

is directly reachable.

No router is needed between hosts in the same /64.

33. Understand Neighbor Discovery

IPv6 does not use ARP.

Instead, it uses:

Neighbor Discovery Protocol

implemented using:

ICMPv6

Conceptually:

IPv4
IP → ARP → MAC

becomes:

IPv6
IPv6 Address → Neighbor Discovery → MAC

34. View IPv6 Neighbors on Linux

After pinging NETPLUS-CLIENT01:

ip -6 neigh

You should see entries linking:

IPv6 Address
      ↓
MAC Address

35. View IPv6 Neighbors on Windows

Run:

netsh interface ipv6 show neighbors

or:

Get-NetNeighbor -AddressFamily IPv6

36. Understand Neighbor Solicitation

A host trying to locate another IPv6 node on the local link sends a:

Neighbor Solicitation

Conceptually:

Who owns this IPv6 address?

37. Understand Neighbor Advertisement

The destination responds with:

Neighbor Advertisement

providing reachability and Layer 2 information.

This broadly replaces the ARP request/reply process used by IPv4.

38. Capture ICMPv6

Start Wireshark.

Apply:

icmpv6

Generate:

ping -6 2001:db8:10:10::20

You should observe several IPv6 control messages.

39. Identify Neighbor Solicitation

In Wireshark, look for:

Neighbor Solicitation

Inspect:

Source IPv6

Destination IPv6

Target Address

Source MAC option

40. Identify Neighbor Advertisement

Look for:

Neighbor Advertisement

Inspect:

Target Address

Destination

Target Link-Layer Address

41. Compare ARP and Neighbor Discovery

IPv4	IPv6
ARP Request	Neighbor Solicitation
ARP Reply	Neighbor Advertisement
Broadcast commonly used	Multicast used
ARP separate from ICMP	NDP uses ICMPv6

42. Capture an IPv6 Echo Request

Use:

icmpv6

and identify:

Echo Request

Inspect:

Source:
2001:db8:10:10::10

Destination:
2001:db8:10:10::20

43. Capture the Echo Reply

Identify:

Echo Reply

coming from the destination.

You have now observed:

Neighbor Discovery
+
ICMPv6 Connectivity

44. Understand ICMPv6 Importance

ICMPv6 is more fundamental to IPv6 operation than ICMP is to many IPv4 environments.

It supports functions such as:

Error Reporting

Echo

Neighbor Discovery

Router Discovery

Path MTU Discovery

Blocking ICMPv6 indiscriminately can break IPv6 networking.

45. Understand Router Solicitation

Hosts can send:

Router Solicitation

to discover available IPv6 routers.

Conceptually:

Host
 ↓
Are there any IPv6 routers on this link?

46. Understand Router Advertisement

Routers can send:

Router Advertisement

containing information such as:

Network Prefix

Default Gateway Information

Configuration Flags

This is important for automatic IPv6 configuration.

47. Understand SLAAC

SLAAC means:

Stateless Address Autoconfiguration

Conceptually:

Router Advertisement
      ↓
IPv6 Prefix
      ↓
Host Generates Interface Portion
      ↓
IPv6 Address Configured

This can allow hosts to configure IPv6 without a traditional DHCP-style address assignment process.

48. Understand DHCPv6 at a High Level

IPv6 environments may also use:

DHCPv6

for configuration information.

Possible enterprise approaches include:

SLAAC

SLAAC + DHCPv6

Stateful DHCPv6

The exact method depends on network design.

49. Understand IPv6 Address Generation

The interface portion of an IPv6 address may be generated using different techniques, including:

Manual Configuration

Stable Generated Address

Temporary Privacy Address

Historically EUI-64-related methods

Modern operating systems commonly use privacy-aware address generation rather than exposing a permanent MAC-derived address everywhere.

50. Inspect Multiple IPv6 Addresses

Run:

ip -6 addr

or:

ipconfig /all

You may notice one interface has multiple IPv6 addresses.

Examples:

Link-Local

Global / Documentation Address

Temporary Address

This is normal IPv6 behavior.

51. Understand Why One Interface Can Have Multiple IPv6 Addresses

An IPv6 interface may simultaneously use:

Link-Local Address
+
Global Address
+
Temporary Address
+
Multicast Membership

Do not assume one interface equals one IPv6 address.

52. Test TCP over IPv6

If SSH is running on NETPLUS-SERVER01, from Linux:

nc -6 -vz 2001:db8:10:10::30 22

or:

ssh <lab-user>@2001:db8:10:10::30

This validates:

IPv6
+
TCP
+
Application Service

53. Capture TCP over IPv6

Apply:

ipv6 && tcp.port == 22

Generate a TCP connection.

Observe:

IPv6 Header
      ↓
TCP Header
      ↓
Application

54. Compare IPv4 and IPv6 Packet Captures

Capture one IPv4 ping and one IPv6 ping.

Compare:

IPv4
vs
IPv6

Look for differences such as:

Address Length

Header Format

Protocol Identification

Neighbor Discovery Behavior

55. Understand IPv6 Header Simplification

IPv6 uses a simpler base header structure than IPv4.

Important concepts include:

Version

Traffic Class

Flow Label

Payload Length

Next Header

Hop Limit

Source Address

Destination Address

56. Understand Hop Limit

IPv6 uses:

Hop Limit

instead of IPv4:

TTL

Each router decrements the value.

If it reaches zero:

Packet discarded

57. Test IPv6 Traceroute

On Linux:

traceroute -6 <IPv6-destination>

or:

tracepath6 <IPv6-destination>

On Windows:

tracert -6 <IPv6-destination>

For same-subnet systems, expect no intermediate router hops.

58. Understand the IPv6 Default Route

An IPv6 default route is:

::/0

Compare with IPv4:

0.0.0.0/0

Both mean:

Use this route when no more specific route exists.

59. Understand Prefix Matching

Suppose a router has:

2001:db8::/32

2001:db8:10::/48

2001:db8:10:10::/64

Destination:

2001:db8:10:10::100

The most specific matching route is:

2001:db8:10:10::/64

IPv6 also uses longest prefix matching.

60. Troubleshooting Scenario 1 — Wrong Prefix

Configure temporarily:

NETPLUS-ADMIN:
2001:db8:10:10::10/64

NETPLUS-SERVER01:
2001:db8:10:20::30/64

Try:

ping -6 2001:db8:10:20::30

Without routing between those prefixes, the communication should fail.

61. Explain the Failure

ADMIN believes local network is:

2001:db8:10:10::/64

SERVER belongs to:

2001:db8:10:20::/64

Therefore:

Different IPv6 Subnets
      ↓
IPv6 Router Required

62. Troubleshooting Scenario 2 — Incorrect Prefix Length

Suppose:

ADMIN:
2001:db8:10:10::10/64

CLIENT:
2001:db8:10:10::20/128

A /128 identifies a single IPv6 address rather than the whole local /64.

Inspect:

ip -6 route

or:

Get-NetRoute -AddressFamily IPv6

to understand how the route differs.

Restore the correct /64.

63. Troubleshooting Scenario 3 — Interface Down

Temporarily disable the lab adapter.

Observe:

IPv6 addresses

Routes

Neighbor table

Connectivity

Then restore the adapter.

64. Troubleshooting Scenario 4 — Link-Local Scope Missing

Attempt to ping a link-local address without specifying the appropriate interface where the OS requires it.

Example:

ping -6 fe80::<address>

You may receive an error or ambiguous result.

Then specify:

ping -6 fe80::<address>%<interface>

This demonstrates IPv6 scope.

65. Troubleshooting Scenario 5 — Firewall Behavior

If ICMPv6 Echo is filtered:

Ping may fail

but do not immediately conclude:

IPv6 is completely broken

Check:

Neighbor Discovery

Routing

TCP Port Connectivity

Firewall Policy

Be particularly cautious not to block essential Neighbor Discovery traffic.

66. Troubleshooting Scenario 6 — IPv4 Works, IPv6 Fails

Suppose:

ping 10.10.10.30
=
Success

but:

ping -6 2001:db8:10:10::30
=
Failure

Investigate:

IPv6 Address

Prefix

IPv6 Route

Neighbor Discovery

Firewall

Interface State

Do not assume IPv4 success proves IPv6 configuration is correct.

67. Troubleshooting Scenario 7 — IPv6 Works, IPv4 Fails

This can also happen in a dual-stack environment.

Document:

IPv4 Status:
Fail

IPv6 Status:
Pass

This demonstrates that the two protocol stacks can experience different problems.

68. Build the IPv6 Troubleshooting Workflow

Use:

Interface Up?
      ↓
IPv6 Enabled?
      ↓
Link-Local Present?
      ↓
Global/Configured Address Correct?
      ↓
Prefix Correct?
      ↓
Destination Local or Remote?
      ↓
Neighbor Discovery Working?
      ↓
IPv6 Route Present?
      ↓
Default Gateway Required?
      ↓
ICMPv6 Allowed?
      ↓
Application Port Working?

69. Create an IPv4 vs IPv6 Comparison Table

Feature	IPv4	IPv6
Address Size	32-bit	128-bit
Notation	Decimal	Hexadecimal
Typical LAN Prefix	Varies	/64 common
Loopback	127.0.0.1	::1
Unspecified	0.0.0.0	::
Local Resolution	ARP	Neighbor Discovery
Broadcast	Yes	No traditional broadcast
Multicast	Supported	Heavily used
Default Route	0.0.0.0/0	::/0
TTL equivalent	TTL	Hop Limit

70. Mission Challenge — Address Classification

Classify each:

::1

Answer:

Loopback

::

Answer:

Unspecified

fe80::1234

Answer:

Link-Local

ff02::1

Answer:

Multicast

2001:db8:10:10::20

Answer:

Documentation / lab global-style unicast address

71. Mission Challenge — Compress IPv6

Compress:

2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0020

Answer:

2001:db8::20

72. Mission Challenge — Expand IPv6

Expand:

2001:db8:1::5

Answer:

2001:0db8:0001:0000:0000:0000:0000:0005

73. Mission Challenge — Determine Same Subnet

Host A:

2001:db8:10:10::10/64

Host B:

2001:db8:10:10::abcd/64

Result:

Same IPv6 Subnet

Host C:

2001:db8:10:20::10/64

Result:

Different IPv6 Subnet

74. Mission Challenge — Analyze Neighbor Discovery

Capture communication between:

NETPLUS-ADMIN

and:

NETPLUS-CLIENT01

Document:

Neighbor Solicitation Source:

Neighbor Solicitation Destination:

Target Address:

Neighbor Advertisement Source:

Neighbor Advertisement Destination:

Resolved MAC:

75. Mission Challenge — Analyze IPv6 Ping

Document:

Source IPv6:

Destination IPv6:

ICMPv6 Type:

Hop Limit:

Source MAC:

Destination MAC:

Explain how IPv6 and Ethernet work together.

76. Mission Challenge — Dual-Stack Validation

From NETPLUS-ADMIN, test:

ping -c 2 10.10.10.30

then:

ping -6 -c 2 2001:db8:10:10::30

Record:

IPv4:
Pass / Fail

IPv6:
Pass / Fail

If both work:

Dual Stack Validated

77. Create the Lab Workspace

On NETPLUS-ADMIN:

mkdir -p ~/NetworkPlus-Labs/LAB04/{Captures,Screenshots,Configs,Notes}

Create:

touch ~/NetworkPlus-Labs/LAB04/Notes/lab04-notes.md

78. Save IPv6 Configuration

Run:

ip -6 addr > ~/NetworkPlus-Labs/LAB04/Configs/admin-ipv6-addresses.txt

Then:

ip -6 route > ~/NetworkPlus-Labs/LAB04/Configs/admin-ipv6-routes.txt

Save equivalent Windows configuration evidence for NETPLUS-CLIENT01.

79. Save Packet Captures

Save:

LAB04-NDP.pcapng

LAB04-ICMPv6.pcapng

LAB04-TCP-IPv6.pcapng

under:

~/NetworkPlus-Labs/LAB04/Captures/

80. Document Your Findings

Use:

# LAB04 — IPv6 Addressing and Connectivity

## Environment

### NETPLUS-ADMIN

IPv4:
IPv6:
Link-Local:
MAC:
Interface:

### NETPLUS-CLIENT01

IPv4:
IPv6:
Link-Local:
MAC:

### NETPLUS-SERVER01

IPv4:
IPv6:
Link-Local:
MAC:

## IPv6 Prefix

Network:
2001:db8:10:10::/64

## Connectivity

ADMIN → CLIENT:
Pass / Fail

ADMIN → SERVER:
Pass / Fail

CLIENT → SERVER:
Pass / Fail

## Neighbor Discovery

Neighbor Solicitation:

Neighbor Advertisement:

Resolved MAC:

## ICMPv6

Echo Request:

Echo Reply:

## IPv6 Routing

Connected Route:

Default Route:

## Dual Stack

IPv4:
Pass / Fail

IPv6:
Pass / Fail

## Troubleshooting Challenge

Problem:

Root Cause:

Fix:

Verification:

## Final Assessment

Summarize how IPv6 communication works in the lab.

81. Evidence to Capture

Capture:

01-linux-ipv6-addresses.png

02-windows-ipv6-addresses.png

03-server-ipv6-addresses.png

04-link-local-addresses.png

05-ipv6-routing-table.png

06-ipv6-connectivity.png

07-link-local-ping.png

08-neighbor-table.png

09-neighbor-solicitation.png

10-neighbor-advertisement.png

11-icmpv6-echo-request.png

12-icmpv6-echo-reply.png

13-ipv6-tcp-connection.png

14-dual-stack-test.png

15-wrong-prefix.png

16-ipv6-route-troubleshooting.png

17-link-local-scope-test.png

18-final-ipv6-topology.png

82. Validation Checklist

Addressing

IPv6 128-bit structure understood
Hexadecimal notation understood
Hextets understood
Leading-zero compression understood
:: compression understood
IPv6 addresses expanded correctly
/64 prefix understood

Address Types

Global unicast concept understood
Link-local identified
Multicast recognized
Loopback ::1 recognized
Unspecified :: recognized

Configuration

ADMIN IPv6 configured
CLIENT01 IPv6 configured
SERVER01 IPv6 configured
Link-local addresses identified
IPv6 routes reviewed
Dual-stack addressing documented

Connectivity

IPv6 loopback tested
ADMIN → CLIENT IPv6 tested
ADMIN → SERVER IPv6 tested
Reverse connectivity tested
Link-local connectivity tested
IPv4 and IPv6 tested independently

Neighbor Discovery

IPv6 neighbor table reviewed
Neighbor Solicitation captured
Neighbor Advertisement captured
NDP vs ARP understood
ICMPv6 role understood

Packet Analysis

ICMPv6 captured
Echo Request analyzed
Echo Reply analyzed
IPv6 source/destination identified
Hop Limit identified
TCP over IPv6 captured

Autoconfiguration Concepts

Router Solicitation understood
Router Advertisement understood
SLAAC understood
DHCPv6 concept understood

Troubleshooting

Wrong IPv6 prefix investigated
Incorrect prefix length investigated
Interface-down scenario understood
Link-local scope investigated
ICMPv6 firewall considerations understood
IPv4-working/IPv6-failing scenario investigated
IPv6 troubleshooting workflow completed

Documentation

IPv6 addressing table completed
Packet captures saved
Screenshots captured
Lab notes completed

83. Mission Review

In this mission, you expanded your lab from:

IPv4 Only

to:

IPv4
+
IPv6
=
Dual Stack

You learned that IPv6 communication follows:

IPv6 Address
      ↓
Prefix Decision
      ↓
Local or Remote?
      ↓
Neighbor Discovery
      ↓
Layer 2 Destination
      ↓
ICMPv6 / TCP / UDP
      ↓
Application

You also moved from the IPv4 model:

IPv4
 ↓
ARP
 ↓
MAC

to:

IPv6
 ↓
ICMPv6 Neighbor Discovery
 ↓
MAC

The key lesson is:

IPv6 changes the addressing architecture, but the core networking question remains the same: determine whether the destination is local or remote, select the correct path, resolve the local Layer 2 destination when required, and deliver the traffic to the appropriate protocol and application.

Skills Developed

After completing this mission, you should be able to:

explain IPv6 addressing
read hexadecimal IPv6 addresses
compress and expand IPv6 notation
interpret IPv6 prefix lengths
identify common IPv6 address types
configure static IPv6 addresses
identify link-local addresses
test IPv6 connectivity
inspect IPv6 routing tables
explain Neighbor Discovery
distinguish NDP from ARP
analyze ICMPv6 traffic
explain Router Solicitation and Advertisement
explain SLAAC fundamentals
understand DHCPv6 concepts
validate dual-stack communication
test TCP services over IPv6
analyze IPv6 packets in Wireshark
troubleshoot common IPv6 problems

What’s Next?

Lab 05 — Ethernet, MAC Addressing and ARP Investigation

You now understand IPv4 and IPv6 logical addressing.

The next mission moves deeper into Layer 2 networking.

You will investigate:

Ethernet frames
MAC addresses
source and destination MAC addresses
unicast
broadcast
multicast
Ethernet frame fields
EtherType
ARP requests
ARP replies
ARP cache behavior
local frame delivery
MAC address changes
duplicate IP behavior
Wireshark Ethernet analysis
Layer 2 troubleshooting

The progression becomes:

IPv4 / IPv6 Address
        ↓
Network Decision
        ↓
Local Communication
        ↓
Layer 2
        ↓
Ethernet Frame
        ↓
MAC Address
        ↓
Physical / Virtual Network

➡️ Next: Lab 05 — Ethernet, MAC Addressing and ARP Investigation