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IPv6 Basic Technology
The main standard for IPv6 is STD 86, currently defined by RFC 8200. Many other relevant RFCs are cited in IPv6 node requirements (BCP 220), although this is always slightly behind the latest RFCs. Quotes from relevant RFCs are included in this chapter.
Some generic terms that should be used precisely are given in Section 2 of STD 86. In particular:
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Node: a device that implements IPv6
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Router: a node that forwards IPv6 packets not explicitly addressed to itself
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Host: any node that is not a router
To avoid confusion, note that a router may receive and send its own packets, and run IPv6 applications, just as a host does.
The rest of this chapter covers various basic aspects of IPv6. Some topics are very closely linked, especially address resolution and auto-configuration, so the reader is advised to read in sequence.