Extreme Switch - How to ping IPv6 Link-Local address

Introduction

IPv6 link-local addresses (fe80::/10) are valid only on the local link and require an explicit interface context when you use the ExtremeXOS ping command. Without specifying the VLAN, the switch cannot determine the egress interface and returns an error. By appending “%<vlan_name>” to the link-local address, you indicate exactly which VLAN the packet should originate from, enabling a successful ICMPv6 echo request.

Symptoms

When you try to ping a link-local IPv6 address without a scope identifier, ExtremeXOS reports:

# ping ipv6 fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d
Error: The egress interface cannot be determined. The link local address must be of form LLA%<vlan_name>.

Cause

The CLI needs both the address and the VLAN context because link-local addresses are non-routable and exist on every interface simultaneously. Omitting the scope prevents the switch from knowing which interface to use for the ping.

Resolution

Use the following syntax:

ping ipv6 link-local-address%vlan_name

Steps:

• Identify the VLAN you want to source the ping from.
• Append “%VLAN_NAME” directly to the fe80:: address (no spaces).
• Run the ping command with the full, scoped address. 1
  
  

Example

To ping fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d from VLAN “Test”:

EXOS# ping ipv6 fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d%Test
Ping(ICMP6) fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d: 4 packets, 8 data bytes, interval 1 second(s).
16 bytes from fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=7.398 ms
16 bytes from fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.523 ms
16 bytes from fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=5.025 ms
16 bytes from fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.524 ms

--- fe80::204:96ff:fe98:9d5d ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0% loss

References

Solution: Getting error when trying to ping fe80 ipv6 address | Extreme Portal

Links

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