BCA / B.Tech 17 min read

Modified EUI-64 | What is Modified EUI-64?

Modified EUI-64 in Hindi | What is Modified EUI-64?


  • The Modified EUI-64 technique is an important process for automatic and unique address generation in IPv6 networks.
  • It is used to convert a 48-bit MAC address into a 64-bit interface identifier, so that a unique IPv6 address can be created for each device.
  • Although there may be some concerns related to security and privacy, these can be controlled through technologies like Privacy Extensions.
  • The Modified EUI-64 technique has made auto-configuration in IPv6 networks easy and effective, which has made the management of large networks more efficient.
  • Modified EUI-64 (Extended Unique Identifier-64) is a technique that is used for auto-configuration in IPv6.
  • It uses the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the network interface to generate an IPv6 address. Compared to IPv4, IPv6 has more addresses in its address space, so the Modified EUI-64 technique is used to assign addresses in an automated and unique way. This technique is necessary for configuring link-local addresses and other types of addresses.
  • The main use of Modified EUI-64 is to create a 64-bit interface identifier for the network interface, which is necessary for the IPv6 address.

To understand this in detail, we first need to get some basic information about IPv6 addressing and MAC addressing.

Introduction of IPv6 Addressing in Hindi | Introduction to IPv6 Addressing:

IPv6 is the next version of IP addressing, which overcomes the limitations of IPv4. IPv6 addresses are 128-bits long, whereas IPv4 addresses are 32-bits. An IPv6 address is divided into 8 groups and each group has 16-bits, which is represented in Hexadecimal. The format of an IPv6 address is as follows:

2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
An IPv6 address is divided into two parts:

  • Network Prefix: This is the first 64-bit part of the address, which represents the network.
  • Interface Identifier: This is the second 64-bit part, which represents a specific device or interface within the network.
  • This 64-bit interface identifier is generated by the Modified EUI-64 technique.

What is a MAC address?

  • A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique address that is embedded in the hardware of a network device. It is 48-bits and every network interface card (NIC) or network equipment has a unique MAC address. A MAC address is represented in hexadecimal format, such as:

  • 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E
  • It is divided into 6 octets (groups of 8-bits), in which the first three octets are the OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier), which represent the manufacturer, and the last three octets uniquely identify the device.

What is the Modified EUI-64 technique?

  • Modified EUI-64 is a process that is used to convert a 48-bit MAC address into a 64-bit interface identifier. Since a MAC address is only 48-bits and we need a 64-bit interface identifier, we use the Modified EUI-64 technique to convert it into 64-bits.

This process is done in the following steps:

Process of generating Modified EUI-64:

Dividing the MAC address into two parts:

  • First, the 48-bit MAC address is divided into two parts. The first three octets (24-bits) are the OUI, and the last three octets (24-bits) are the device identification.
For example, suppose the MAC address is 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E. It will be divided as follows:
First three octets (OUI): 00:1A:2B
Last three octets: 3C:4D:5E
Using flipping:

  • In Modified EUI-64, the 7th bit of the first byte (the first 8-bits) of the OUI is flipped. This bit is called the U/L bit (Universal/Local bit). If this bit is 0, it means that the address is universal, and if it is 1, it means that the address is local. In Modified EUI-64, it is flipped to make it a local bit.
  • For example, the binary format of the MAC address 00:1A:2B is:

00000000 00011010 00101011
In this, the 7th bit of the first byte is 0, so it is flipped to make it 1. The new binary format will be:

00000010 00011010 00101011
Now the new OUI becomes 02:1A:2B.
Adding FFFE in the middle:

  • After this, a 16-bit value FFFE is added between the OUI and the device identification. This 16-bits helps to convert the address into 64-bits.
  • So, now FFFE will be added between the OUI 02:1A:2B and the device identification 3C:4D:5E, which will create the new interface identifier:

02:1A:2B:FF:FE:3C:4D:5E

New 64-bit interface identifier:

  • Finally, the 64-bit interface identifier generated using Modified EUI-64 will be 02:1A:2B:FF:FE:3C:4D:5E.
  • This 64-bit interface identifier will be used as the host part of the IPv6 address.

Advantages & Uses of Modified EUI-64 in Hindi | Uses and advantages of Modified EUI-64:

  • Auto-configuration: Modified EUI-64 is used for Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) in IPv6, which allows a network device to automatically generate its IPv6 address. This is a way to assign an IPv6 address without a DHCP server.
  • Unique address generation: Using Modified EUI-64, a unique IPv6 address is generated for every network device. The MAC address is already unique for every device, and converting it into 64-bits greatly reduces the possibility of an address clash in the IPv6 network.
  • Efficient address assignment: Due to the Modified EUI-64 technique, the network administrator does not need to manually assign an IP address for every device. This makes network management easy and efficient.

Potential security concerns of Modified EUI-64:

  • Although the Modified EUI-64 technique provides the facility of auto-configuration in an IPv6 network, there are also some security concerns with it. Since this address is based on the MAC address of the device, a device can be identified from the network address.
  • This can lead to tracking and privacy-related problems.
  • This is why Privacy Extensions are used in IPv6 to increase privacy, which hides the identity of the device by randomizing the interface identifier.

In this Chapter

Modified EUI-64 | What is Modified EUI-64?
Auto-Configuration and Anycast
Architecture of Mobile Computing
Wireless LAN in Hindi | What is Wireless LAN?
Wireless User Devices
MAC Protocol | What is MAC Protocol?
IEEE 802.11 | What is IEEE 802.11
Mobile IP | What is Mobile IP
Wireless TCP/IP
Unicast & Multicast Communication
Bluetooth | What is Bluetooth?
NS2 & NAM | What are NS2 and NAM?
Purpose & installation of NS2 & NAM
Background of NS2 & NAM
Architecture of NS2 & NAM
Interface of OTcl & C++
Trace Files & Formats
Protocol Support of NS2
Simulation Object of NS2 & NAM
Basic Syntax of NS2 & NAM
Node Creation of NS2 & NAM
Running NS2 & NAM
Finish Procedure NS2 & NAM
Invoking external commands within NS2
Nodes & Agents of NS2 & NAM
NS2 Commands
Creating Links in Wired Network
Setting Link Parameters
Sending Traffics Through NS2 Links
Routing Protocol Support of NS2
Scenarios in Wired Networks
Additional Parameters
Setting node positions
God object & topography
Protocol Support
Scenarios in Wireless Networks
What is the Internet? Difference Between Intranet and Extranet
Types of Internet
OSI Model and its Layers
Computer Network (CN) All Important Questions and Answers in English (MDSU)
BCA | Computer Network | 2025 Paper | MDSU Exam Paper
Importance of the Layer Model in Computer Networks
Network Classification
Network Topology
Network Switching & Components
Ethernet
Token Ring
Basic Networking Concepts & Cabling
What is a Computer in English?
Bridges in Computer Networks
Routers in Computer Networks
Gateways in Computer Networks
Public & Private Networks
FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access)
BCA | CN(Computer Network) Paper | 2023 MDSU Exam Paper
What is World Wide Web (WWW)
TDMA, SDMA, CDMA
Personal Communication System | What is PCS
IPv4 | What is IPv4?
Subnetting IPv4 Address
Casting in IPv4
Private IPv4 Addressing
IPv4 Address Scheme
IPv6 Addressing Scheme
Types of IPv6 Addressing