Mapping Unicast IPv6 Addresses to Solicited Node IPv6 Addresses
For example, for the node with the link-local IPv6 address of FE80::2AA:FF:FE28:9C5A, the corresponding solicited-node address is FF02::1:FF28:9C5A. This node is listening for multicast traffic at the solicited-node address of FF02::1:FF28:9C5A and, for interfaces that correspond to a physical network adapter, has registered the corresponding multicast address with the network adapter. To resolve the address of FE80::2AA:FF:FE28:9C5A to its link-layer address, a neighboring node sends a Neighbor Solicitation to the solicited-node address of FF02::1:FF28:9C5A.
The result of using the solicited-node multicast address is that address resolutions, a common occurrence on a link, are not required to use a mechanism that disturbs all network nodes. By using the solicited-node address, address resolution disturbs very few nodes. In practice, due to the relationship between the Ethernet MAC address, the IPv6 interface ID, and the solicited-node address, the solicited-node address acts as a pseudo-unicast address for very efficient address resolution.