Which range of addresses is designated for link-local addresses in IPv6?

Link-local addresses in IPv6 are specifically assigned for communication between nodes on the same local link or network segment. These addresses are crucial for tasks such as neighbor discovery, address autoconfiguration, and other local communications that do not require a globally routable address.

The range designated for link-local addresses starts with the prefix FE80::/10. This means that any IPv6 address that begins with the bits '1111 1110 10' falls within this range. Consequently, the range of addresses from FE80:: to FEBF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF is reserved for link-local communication, ensuring that these addresses are unique to the local subnet and are not routable across the wider Internet.

Understanding the purpose of link-local addresses reinforces the importance of the FE80::/10 range in the context of IPv6 networking. Other address ranges mentioned in the choices serve different functions, such as global unicast or multicast addresses, which further highlights the unique role of the link-local address space in IPv6 architecture.