NDP is a very core component of IPv6. Which of the following are main functions of NDP? (Multiple choice)

Question

Options

• ANeighbor status tracking
• BLink shortest path calculation
• CDuplicate address detection
• DGeocoding
• ENeighbor discovery

• A
  100% (42)

Explanation

Important note: The provided answer key appears to contain errors. The actual correct answers for NDP functions are A, C, and E - not all five.

NDP (Neighbor Discovery Protocol, RFC 4861) replaces ARP in IPv6 and handles three of the listed functions: Neighbor discovery (E) is NDP's core purpose - nodes use ICMPv6 messages to locate other nodes on the link. Duplicate Address Detection (C) uses NDP to verify a candidate address isn't already in use before assigning it. Neighbor status tracking (A) corresponds to Neighbor Unreachability Detection (NUD), which monitors whether a neighboring node is still reachable.

B (Link shortest path calculation) is incorrect - path/route calculation is the job of routing protocols like OSPFv3 or IS-IS, not NDP. NDP operates only at the local link level and has no awareness of network topology beyond that. D (Geocoding) is entirely unrelated to networking protocols; it refers to converting place names or postal addresses into geographic coordinates.

Memory tip: Think of NDP as the IPv6 "neighborhood watch" - it only cares about who's on your street (local link), not how to route across the city (routing protocols) or where things are on a map (geocoding). The acronym itself tells you two of the answers: Neighbor Discovery Protocol → E and A. Add DAD (C) and you have the three real functions.

If this question is from an official exam, I'd recommend flagging it - the answer key listing B and D as correct is almost certainly a mistake.

No community discussion yet for this question.