Routers and hosts handle IPv6 addresses in similar ways, but with some differences.
Routers:
1. Routing: Routers use IPv6 addresses to route packets between networks. They maintain a routing table that maps IPv6 addresses to the next hop for packet delivery.
1. Neighbor Discovery: Routers use Neighbor Discovery (ND) protocol to learn about the other routers and hosts on the network. They exchange ND messages with other routers to maintain connectivity and learn about the other network devices.
1. Forwarding: Routers use the destination IPv6 address to forward packets to the correct network segment.
Hosts:
1. Configuration: Hosts are configured with an IPv6 address, which can be manually assigned or automatically assigned using a protocol like Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol version 6 (DHCPv6).
1. Address Resolution: Hosts use Neighbor Discovery (ND) to resolve the link-layer addresses (Media Access Control or MAC addresses) of other hosts on the same network segment.
1. Communication: Hosts use the source and destination IPv6 addresses to communicate with each other over the network.
In summary, routers and hosts both use IPv6 addresses for communication and routing, but routers also use them for neighbor discovery and forwarding, while hosts use them for addressing and address resolution.
