Hextet

Not to be confused with Hexlet (disambiguation).

In computing, a hextet is a sixteen-bit aggregation, or four nibbles. As a nibble typically is notated in hexadecimal format, a hextet consists of 4 hexadecimal digits. A hextet is the unofficial name for each of the 8 blocks in an IPv6 network address.

History

The exact term for 16 bits should be sexdecet, directly related to the term octet. Because it is harder to pronounce, the short form "hextet" is used. However, following "octet", "hextet" would more properly describe a 6 bit aggregation.

An expired Internet Draft explored various alternatives for hextet such as quibble, short for "quad nibble":[1]

Although the word hextet originates from an expired Internet Draft, and is not officialised in the IETF documents, the word is used in technical literature on IPv6 [2] [3] published after the Internet Draft. Official IETF documents simply refer to them as "pieces",[4] though this is probably intended to remain non-committal on a term.

Cisco sources generally use the term quartet as does IPv6.com,[5] a reference either to the four digit grouping or to the fact that it represents four nibbles; however, this term is also used by some to refer to a four-bit aggregation (see nibble).[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "draft-denog-v6ops-addresspartnaming-04 - Naming IPv6 address parts".
  2. ↑ Rick Graziani (2012). IPv6 Fundamentals: A Straightforward Approach to Understanding IPv6. Cisco Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-13-303347-2.
  3. ↑ Tom Coffeen (2014). IPv6 Address Planning: Designing an Address Plan for the Future. O'Reilly Media. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-4919-0326-1.
  4. ↑ "IP Version 6 Addressing Architecture". The preferred form is x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x, where the 'x's are the hexadecimal values of the eight 16-bit pieces of the address
  5. ↑ Kaushik Das. "IPv6 Addressing". IPv6 addresses are denoted by eight groups of hexadecimal quartets separated by colons in between them
  6. ↑ Brewster, Ronald L. (1994). Data Communications and Networks, Vol. III. IEE telecommunications series 31. Institution of Electrical Engineers. p. 155. ISBN 9780852968048. A data symbol represents one quartet (4 bits) of binary data.
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