Why convert an IP
An IPv4 address is actually a 32-bit number — the dotted decimal notation (e.g. 192.168.1.1) is just a more human-readable way to represent that number, split into 4 groups of 8 bits (octets). Understanding the binary representation helps visualize how subnet masks and CIDR work.
How it's calculated
Each octet (0-255) is individually converted to binary (8 digits) and hexadecimal (2 digits), and the four binary/hexadecimal octets are also concatenated to show the full 32-bit address in each format.
Frequently asked questions
Why does each octet only go up to 255?
Because each octet has 8 bits, and the largest value possible with 8 bits is 2⁸ - 1 = 255 (11111111 in binary).
Does this work for IPv6 too?
No — this tool is specific to IPv4 (32 bits, 4 octets). IPv6 addresses have 128 bits and are already normally represented in hexadecimal.