Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 14:24:10 -0800 (PST) From: Nick Sayer <nsayer@quack.kfu.com> To: doug@safeport.com Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: ::1 in /etc/hosts Message-ID: <200011162224.eAGMOAU77381@medusa.kfu.com>
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::1 is the IPv6 localhost address. IPv6 addresses are in the format nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn where n is a hex digit. If you have a string of 0s, you can leave the digits and extra colons out. So ::1 is actually 0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0001. If you ifconfig an interface with IPv6 in the kernel, you will find the link local address which generally looks like fe80::290:27ff:fed1:576b In this case, it's fe80:0000:0000:0000:0290:27ff:fed1:576b. Link local addresses allow IPv6 nodes on a routerless segment to talk to each other. Imagine you and a friend with laptops and if_wi cards come across each other in a coffee house. You can instantly put the cards in adhoc mode and communicate using ipv6. You don't have to stop first and agree on IP addresses and netmask and crap. You would have to do some sort of ephemeral name service or type in each other's link local addresses in order to really do anything, however. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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