Windows 7 / Networking

Understanding ICMPv6 Messages

Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) for IPv4 (ICMPv4) is used in IPv4 networks to allow nodes to send and respond to error messages and informational messages. For example, when a source node uses the ping command to send ICMP Echo Request messages (ICMP type 8 messages) to a destination node, the destination node can respond with ICMP Echo messages (ICMP type 0 messages) indicating its presence on the network.

On IPv6 networks, ICMP for IPv6 (ICMPv6) fulfills the same functions as ICMPv4 on IPv4 networks-namely, to provide a mechanism for exchanging error messages and informational messages. ICMPv6 also provides informational messages for the following:

  • Neighbor Discovery (ND) The process by which hosts and routers discover each other on the network so that they can communicate at the data-link layer. (ND serves the same purpose as Address Resolution Protocol [ARP] does in IPv4 networks.)
  • Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) The process by which membership in multicast groups is determined and maintained.

Note For more information about ND, see the next section titled "Understanding Neighbor Discovery." For more information about ICMPv6 message types and header formats and about MLD, see the white paper, "Introduction to IP Version 6," at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=CBC0B8A3-B6A4-4952-BBE6-D976624C257C&displaylang=en.

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

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