IPv6 hosts can configure network connectivity without relying on the IPv4 DHCP workflow.

Through router advertisements, local routers announce information such as available prefixes and default-router status. With stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC), a host can combine an advertised prefix with an interface identifier to form an IPv6 address and then verify that the address is not already in use.

A host normally also has a link-local address, valid only on the local link, which supports neighbor and router discovery even before global connectivity is configured.

Networks may use SLAAC, DHCPv6 or combinations of mechanisms depending on which configuration information should be centrally managed.

The important distinction is architectural: IPv6 neighbor discovery, router discovery and address configuration are designed as related local-link control mechanisms rather than direct copies of IPv4 ARP plus DHCP.