Prefix Configuration Variables

Router advertisements also contain prefix variables with information that stateless address autoconfiguration uses to generate prefixes. The Stateless Address Autoconfiguration field in router advertisements are processed independently. One option field that contains prefix information, the Address Autoconfiguration flag, indicates whether the option even applies to stateless autoconfiguration. If the option field does apply, additional option fields contain a subnet prefix with lifetime values. These values indicate the length of time that addresses created from the prefix remain preferred and valid.

Because routers periodically generate router advertisements, hosts continually receive new advertisements. IPv6-enabled hosts process the information that is contained in each advertisement. Hosts add to the information. They also refresh the information that is received in previous advertisements.