Windows 7 / Networking

IPv6 Routing Table Structure

IPv6 routing tables can contain four different types of routing table entries (that is, routes):

  • Directly attached network routes These typically have 64-bit prefixes and identify adjacent links (network segments connected to the local segment via one router).
  • Remote network routes These have varying prefixes and identify remote links (network segments connected to the local segment via several routers).
  • Host routes These have 128-bit prefixes and identify a specific IPv6 node.
  • Default route This uses the network prefix ::/0 and is used to forward packets when a network or host route cannot be determined.

On a computer running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008, you can use the netsh interface ipv6 show route command to display the IPv6 routing table entries. The following is a sample routing table from a domain-joined computer running Windows 7 that has a single LAN network adapter, no IPv6 routers on the attached subnet, and no other configured network connections.

PublishTypeMetPrefixIdxGateway/Interface Name
NoManual256::1/1281Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1
NoManual256fe80::/6415Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
NoManual256fe80::/6412Local Area Connection
NoManual256fe80::100:7f:fffe/12815Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
NoManual256fe80::5efe:172.16.11.131/12814isatap.{9D607D7D-0703-4E67-82ED-9A8206377C5C}
NoManual256fe80::5da9:fa1d:2575:c766/12812Local Area Connection
NoManual256ff00::/81Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1
NoManual256ff00::/815Teredo Tunneling Pseudo- Interface
NoManual256ff00::/812Local Area Connection

Each route in this table is specified using the following fields:

  • Publish If set to Yes, the route is advertised in a routing Advertisement message; otherwise No.
  • Type If set to Autoconf, the route was configured automatically using the IPv6 routing protocol; if Manual, the route has been configured by the operating system or an application.
  • Met Indicates the metric for the route. For multiple routes having the same prefix, the lower the metric, the better the match.
  • Prefix Specifies the address prefix for the route.
  • Idx Specifies the index of the network interface over which packets matching the route's address prefix are reachable. To display a list of interfaces and their indices, use the netsh interface ipv6 show interface command.
  • Gateway/Interface Name For directly attached network routes, specifies the name of the interface; for remote network routes, specifies the next-hop address of the route.

Note For more information about IPv6 routing and routing tables, see The Cable Guy article titled "Understanding the IPv6 Routing Table" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/bb878115.aspx.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Deploying IPv6
  2. Understanding IPv6
  3. Understanding IPv6 Terminology
  4. Understanding IPv6 Addressing
  5. Understanding IPv6 Prefixes
  6. Understanding IPv6 Address Types
  7. Understanding Unicast Addresses
  8. Identifying IPv6 Address Types
  9. Understanding Interface Identifiers
  10. Comparing IPv6 with IPv4
  11. Understanding IPv6 Routing
  12. How IPv6 Routing Works
  13. IPv6 Route Determination Process
  14. IPv6 Routing Table Structure
  15. Understanding ICMPv6 Messages
  16. Understanding Neighbor Discovery
  17. Understanding Address Autoconfiguration
  18. Understanding Name Resolution
  19. Understanding Name Queries
  20. Understanding Name Registration
  21. PTR Records and IPv6
  22. IPv6 Enhancements in Windows 7
  23. Summary of IPv6 Enhancements in Windows 7
  24. Configuring and Troubleshooting IPv6 in Windows 7
  25. Configuring IPv6 in Windows 7 Using the User Interface
  26. Configuring IPv6 in Windows 7 Using Netsh
  27. Other IPv6 Configuration Tasks
  28. Enabling or Disabling IPv6
  29. Disabling Random Interface IDs
  30. Resetting IPv6 Configuration
  31. Displaying Teredo Client Status
  32. Troubleshooting IPv6 Connectivity
  33. Planning for IPv6 Migration
  34. Blocking Teredo
  35. Understanding ISATAP
  36. Migrating an Intranet to IPv6
  37. Step 1: Upgrading Your Applications and Services
  38. Step 2: Preparing Your DNS Infrastructure
  39. Step 3: Upgrading Your Hosts
  40. Step 4: Migrating from IPv4-only to ISATAP
  41. Step 5: Upgrading Your Routing Infrastructure
  42. Step 6: Upgrading Your DHCP Infrastructure
  43. Step 7: Migrating from ISATAP to Native IPv6
  44. The Advantages of IPv6
  45. Address Resolution in IPv6