Lesson 12: Binary and Hexadecimal Conversion Review

Mastering subnetting requires a solid understanding of binary arithmetic.

Decimal to Binary (The Weight System)

Each position in an 8-bit octet has a decimal weight:

Example: Convert 172 to Binary

1. Is 172 >= 128? Yes (1). Remaining: 44.
2. Is 44 >= 64? No (0).
3. Is 44 >= 32? Yes (1). Remaining: 12.
4. Is 12 >= 16? No (0).
5. Is 12 >= 8? Yes (1). Remaining: 4.
6. Is 4 >= 4? Yes (1). Remaining: 0.
7. Is 0 >= 2? No (0).
8. Is 0 >= 1? No (0).

Result: 10101100

Introduction to Hexadecimal

Hexadecimal (Base 16) is used extensively for MAC addresses and IPv6. Each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary bits.

Key Use: 48-bit MAC addresses are displayed as 12 hexadecimal digits.