DAD enables a node to detect whether an IPv6 address is already in use by...

Duplicate Address Detection ( DAD ) is an IPv6 mechanism used to verify that a unicast address is not already in use before the address is assigned to an interface. DAD is implemented using Neighbor Solicitation (NS) and Neighbor Advertisement (NA) messages, which are part of the ICMPv6 Neighbor Discovery protocol. Therefore, options A and D are correct.

When a host wants to verify a tentative IPv6 address, it sends an NS message for that address. If another node on the link is already using that address, that node responds with an NA message, indicating the address is duplicated and cannot be assigned. If no NA is received within the required period, the host assumes the address is unique and can use it. Options B and C are incorrect because Router Solicitation (RS) and Router Advertisement (RA) are used for router discovery, prefix advertisement, and stateless address autoconfiguration, not for DAD itself. HCIA-Datacom emphasizes the distinction between Neighbor Discovery functions, including address resolution, next-hop reachability, router discovery, and duplicate address detection in IPv6 networks.

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