IPv6 EUI-64 (Extended Unique Identifier)
The IPv6 addressing scheme is the successor of the IPv4 addressing scheme. Along
with a larger pool of routable addresses, it has a lot of additional features. One such
update is in the Global Uncast Address configuration of a host on the network.
The IPv6 GUA configuration can be done in the following ways:
Stateless Address Autoconfiguration - (SLAAC)
SLAAC with stateless DHCPv6 Server
Stateful DHCPv6 Server
In the first two kinds, the host must generate its own unique Interface ID. There are
two ways in which a unique Interface ID can be generated:
EUI-64 (Extended Unique Identifier)
Randomly Generated ID
The EUI-64:
The EUI-64 or modified Extended Unique Identifier uses the Media Access
Control (MAC) Address to generate a unique 64-bit EUI-64 Interface ID.
However, an IPv6 address is a 128-bit address, therefore, the first 64 bits are the
Global Routing Prefix(48 bits) and the Subnet ID(16 bits) as shown below:
Global Routing Subnet ID Interface ID
Prefix
48 Bits 16 Bits 64 Bits
The Media Access Control is the permanent address provided to the Network
Interface Card (NIC) of the host by the manufacturer. It is used by the MAC
sublayer of the Datalink Layer.
The MAC Address is a 48-bit address. To make it a 64-bit address, two operations
are performed:
The hexadecimal value of FFFE(16-bits) is added in the middle of the 48-bit
mac address.
The 7th bit from the start is toggled from 0 to 1.
For example:
For the MAC address [Link] the steps are performed as shown in
the figure:
After the Interface ID is configured, a Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) packet
is sent by the host which is similar to an Address Resolution Protocol
(ARP) Request to the generated IPv6 address. If no host answers the request, the
generated address is unique. Cisco routers are configured to use the EUI-64 ID
generation by default.
Conclusion:
The EUI-64 or the modified Extended Unique Identifier is the procedure
performed by an IPv6 SLAAC configured host to generate its own unique Interface
ID using the MAC address of the host. The unique Interface ID is generated by
performing the following steps:
Add the hexadecimal value FFFE in the middle of the 48-bit MAC Address.
Toggle the 7th bit from 0 to 1.
