Understanding Internet and Hexadecimal Notation Introduction
In this video, we explore a crucial aspect of networking — understanding how the Internet works and how hexadecimal notation plays a role in IP addressing, especially in IPv6. From the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) used for early Internet connections to the role of IANA, ICANN, and RIRs in IP address allocation, this lesson gives you a foundational understanding of Internet infrastructure. We also dive into numerical systems — decimal, binary, and hexadecimal — and explain how they’re used in networking. Grasping these number systems is critical for understanding IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, and overall network architecture — all core topics for CompTIA Network+. Whether you’re a beginner or brushing up for certification, this video simplifies complex concepts into easy-to-follow explanations.
Understanding Internet and Hexadecimal Notation Notes
The Internet is a massive, decentralized network built by interconnecting numerous smaller networks. It relies on public networks like the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to provide access. Initially, PSTN was widely used to connect home computers to the Internet via dial-up modems. Today, various Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer broadband connections through fiber, cable, or DSL.
Several global organizations manage the Internet infrastructure:
- IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) and ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) manage the global allocation of IP addresses.
- RIRs (Regional Internet Registries) like APNIC (Asia Pacific), ARIN (North America), and RIPE (Europe) distribute IPs to ISPs.
- ISPs then assign IP addresses to end users or enterprises.
When discussing IP addresses, we encounter two formats: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses are written in decimal notation (e.g., 192.168.1.1), while IPv6 addresses use hexadecimal notation (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334).
Understanding different number systems is crucial:
- Decimal (Base 10) uses digits from 0 to 9.
- Binary (Base 2) uses only 0 and 1. For example, 255 in binary is
11111111, where each bit represents a power of 2 (128 + 64 + 32 + … + 1). - Hexadecimal (Base 16) uses 0–9 and A–F. Here,
FFin hexadecimal equals255in decimal.
Each of these systems plays a specific role in networking:
- IPv4 addresses are structured using decimal, making them more human-readable.
- IPv6 uses hexadecimal, allowing a much larger address space and more efficient routing.
This knowledge is foundational for understanding subnetting, address allocation, and troubleshooting within networks. Knowing how to convert between binary, decimal, and hexadecimal is a must-have skill for Network+ certification candidates.