IPv6 Explained: Multicast and MLD
IPv6 eliminates broadcast and replaces it entirely with multicast. Here's how IPv6 multicast addressing works, what MLD does, and why switches need to handle it correctly for NDP to function.
6 min
ipv6
IPv6 Explained
A practical series that works through IPv6 from the ground up — no assumed prior knowledge beyond basic networking. Covers addressing and packet structure, how SLAAC and DHCPv6 hand out addresses, how ISPs delegate prefixes and how routers subdivide and route them, transition technologies for mixed IPv4/IPv6 environments, multicast and MLD, and first-hop security mechanisms. Aimed at network engineers and anyone making the jump to dual-stack.
5 pages
IPv6 Explained: Transition Mechanisms
Not every network can go full dual-stack overnight. DS-Lite, NAT64, and 464XLAT are the mechanisms ISPs and operators use to keep IPv4 working while moving to IPv6.
5 min
ipv6
IPv6 Explained: Prefix Delegation, Routing & First-Hop Security
ISPs delegate an entire prefix block to your router — not a single address. Here's how DHCPv6-PD works, how routing and firewalling work without NAT, and how RA Guard, DHCPv6 Guard, and ND Inspection lock down the link layer against rogue RAs and neighbor-cache attacks.
12 min
ipv6
IPv6 Explained: SLAAC and Neighbor Discovery
IPv6 replaces ARP with NDP and lets devices configure addresses without a server. Here's how Neighbor Discovery, SLAAC, and DHCPv6 work together.
10 min
ipv6
IPv6 Explained: Addressing
IPv6 replaces 32-bit addresses with 128-bit ones — but the change goes deeper than size. Here's how IPv6 addresses are structured, what the different types mean, and how subnetting works.
7 min
ipv6