RE: IPv6 terminology question

[Daniel Stickney <dstickney@pronto.com>]

> Daniel,
> 
> This is defined in RFC4291 "IPv6 Addressing Architecture" Section 2.2 "Text Representation of Addresses".  It says:
> 
>    1. The preferred form is x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x, where the 'x's are one to
>       four hexadecimal digits of the eight 16-bit pieces of the address.
>       Examples:
> 
>          ABCD:EF01:2345:6789:ABCD:EF01:2345:6789
> 
>          2001:DB8:0:0:8:800:200C:417A
> 
>       Note that it is not necessary to write the leading zeros in an
>       individual field, but there must be at least one numeral in every
>       field (except for the case described in 2.).
> 
> The closest thing to a definition would be to call them "field"s.  For example, "an IPv6 address is made up of 8 colon separated fields".
> 
> Bob
> 
> p.s. Suggest in the future, try reading the actual specifications.  
> 

I appreciate your input Bob.

What term do you all normally use in your discussions with other
engineers? I'm fine with "field", just haven't heard or seen anyone else
use it yet.

Thanks,

-- 
Daniel Stickney
Operations Manager - Systems and Network Engineer

p.s. I did read that spec, and several others. In my first message when
I said 'I've seen "quartet", "pieces" ....', that term "pieces" comes
from the 2nd line of the section you quoted. I just thought "pieces" and
"field" were generic enough to not be official terms.