Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

What type of IPv6 address begins with FF00::/8?

1. Unicast

2. Loopback

3. Multicast

4. Unique Local Address

The correct answer is: Multicast

The correct answer is multicast. In IPv6 addressing, a multicast address is designed for one-to-many communication, meaning that packets sent to a multicast address are delivered to multiple interfaces that have joined the group associated with that address. Specifically, multicast addresses in IPv6 start with the prefix FF00::/8, which indicates that any address falling within this range is intended for multicast purposes. This system allows efficient distribution of data streams to multiple receivers without flooding the network with duplicate packets. Multicast addresses play a significant role in applications like video conferencing and streaming media, where multiple users may need to receive the same data simultaneously but do not require individual unicast streams. Other types of IPv6 addresses serve different functionalities: unicast addresses identify a unique interface on a network, the loopback address is used for testing and diagnostics (specifically for communication with oneself), and unique local addresses (ULAs) are used for local communication within a specific network that is not routable on the global internet. Each of these address types has distinct characteristics and purposes separate from multicast addressing.