# Link Local Addresses

**Link-local** IPv6 addresses are automatically generated on IPv6-enabled interfaces.

Use the command:

```
R1(config-if)# ipv6 enable
```

on an interface to enable IPv6 on an interface.

Uses the address block FE80::/10 (FE80:: FBFE:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF)

However, the standard states that the 54 bits after FE80/10 should be all 0, so you won't see link-local addresses beginning with FE9, FEA or FEB. Only FE8.

The interface ID is generated using EUI-64 rules.

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_Link-local_ means that these addresses are used for communication within a single link (subnet). Routers **will not** route packets with a link-local destination IPv6 address.

Common uses of link-local addresses:

* routing protocol peering (OSPFv3 uses link-local addresses for neighbor adjacencies).
* next-hop addresses for static routes.
* _Neighbor Discovery Protocol_ (NDP, IPv6's replacement for ARP) uses link-local addresses to function.

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