More detailsNeighboring subnets, expanded address, reverse DNS, and hextet breakdown
Neighboring /96 subnets
- Expanded address
- Compressed address
- Network (expanded)
- Last address (expanded)
- Prefix mask
- Total addresses (exact)
- Reverse DNS (PTR)
- Host bits / network bits
Hextet breakdown
20010db8abcd00120000000000000001
NetworkSplit groupHost
Quick facts for IPv6 /96
- Prefix mask: ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::
- Total addresses: 2³²
- Approx. count: 4.29 × 10⁹
- /64 subnets: —
IPv6 /96 reference guideBit split, overview, key facts, sizing tables, design notes, standards, and FAQ
Network / host bit split
netnetnetnetnetnethosthost
Network bits (96)Split hextetHost bits (32)
- Network bits
- 96
- Host bits
- 32
- Prefix mask
- ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::
- Total addresses
- 2³²
- Approx. count
- 4.29 × 10⁹
- /64 subnets
- —
- Addresses formula
- 2^32
- /64 relationship
- smaller than a /64
Overview
A /96 leaves 32 host bits — the width of an entire IPv4 address. The well-known 64:ff9b::/96 NAT64 prefix and the ::ffff:0:0/96 IPv4-mapped range both use this size to embed IPv4 addresses inside IPv6.
Common use cases
- NAT64 / IPv4-IPv6 translation (64:ff9b::/96)
- IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses (::ffff:0:0/96)
Key facts
- A /96 fixes 96 network bits and leaves 32 host bits — 2³² total addresses.
- In network design terms, /96 is typically a specialized sub-/64 block.
- A /96 is 1/2³² of a standard /64 LAN subnet.
Design guidance
A /96 can work for small management VLANs, out-of-band networks, or certification lab exercises where you deliberately cap the host count. For router interconnects, prefer /127 (RFC 6164) over /96. For ordinary LANs, stay with /64 regardless of how small the segment feels.
Practical example
In a lab, 2001:db8:abcd:0012::1/96 might number a small segment with 2³² addresses. In production, you would normally expand this to a full /64 unless you have a documented exception.
Related RFCs and standards
- RFC 6052IPv6 Addressing of IPv4/IPv6 Translators (NAT64)
Prefix sizing reference
Notable /96 networks
64:ff9b::/96NAT64 well-known prefix (RFC 6052)::ffff:0:0/96IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about IPv6 /96 blocks, prefix sizes, and use cases.