Which of the following best represents a logical address in data networking?

The logical address in data networking is represented by IPv6. A logical address is used by the network layer of the OSI model, which is responsible for routing packets of data across various networks. IPv6 is specifically designed to address the limitations of IPv4, providing a vastly larger address space and improved routing capabilities.

When a device communicates over a network, it uses its IP address to ensure that data is sent to the correct destination. This is essential for proper packet routing through networks, which often involve multiple hops and gateways. Logical addresses such as IPv6 are designed to be hierarchical and can guide data through complex network structures, allowing for efficient routing and management of network resources.

In contrast, while IPv4 also serves as a logical addressing scheme, it is the version of the IP addressing protocol that is being phased out in favor of IPv6 due to its limitations. MAC addresses and physical addresses refer to the hardware identifiers on a network interface, which work at a lower layer (data link layer) and are not used for routing data across multiple networks, making them unsuitable as logical addresses.