Â…those who understand binary and those who donÂ’t.

Welcome to the first of many, many installments as I journey down the road of higher education. Recent events have me very dismayed about my job and life is a little too short to be miserable. Since I’m the “office nerd”, I’m the one who has to attempt to keep our network running and nine times out of ten, I have no clue as to what I’m doing. The other day we had some contractors come in and after talking with them a bit, I found out that they are making twice as much as I am with not much more knowledge than I got.

So, back to school I goÂ…to ITT Tech for a Bachelor of Science in Information System Security.

These installments by me are, more or less, either my notes from class or my real homework (hey, no cheating). Thought, “Hey, kill two birds with one chip”. Without further delay…your lesson for today.

The Language of Computers

In order for machines to communicate, they need to have a basic language of their own. It not only needs to be precise, but also extremely simple. EnterÂ…the Binary Zone!

Binary, in plain English, is defined as being made of or based on two things or parts and is based upon the decimal system. Binary language itself is composed of two parts, zeros and ones. A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of information, which will either be a zero or a one. A nibble is four bits, or half of a byte. A byte is eight bits.

Here is a chart that will help you throughout your computing career

Hexadecimal	Binary 8 4 2 1	Decimal
0	0 0 0 0	0
1	0 0 0 1	1
2	0 0 1 0	2
3	0 0 1 1	3
4	0 1 0 0	4
5	0 1 0 1	5
6	0 1 1 0	6
7	0 1 1 1	7
8	1 0 0 0	8
9	1 0 0 1	9
A	1 0 1 0	10
B	1 0 1 1	11
C	1 1 0 0	12
D	1 1 0 1	13
E	1 1 1 0	14
F	1 1 1 1	15

Using the binary, we start on the left with a value of one for that column. Since binary is based upon the base of two, the next significant number to the left of it is going to be two, then four, then eight, then 16, 32, 64, 128, etc. Do you notice something different about the binary numbers listed? Take a look at column 2 in the binary column, then look at the numbers underneath it. See the system now? You have two zeros, two ones two zeroes, two ones, etc. See it with the other columns in the binary column?

Now, I only provided a table that showed all the possible combinations of a nibble (four bits or half a byte) so I could show you the hexadecimal scale, too (for all you graphic pimps out there). I could have shown you a table with five bits listed…or even six. See something else associated with the table? When it comes to decimal digits, the highest value you can count to is two times the most significant number minus one. With this chart, our most significant number is 8, so 8 * 2 = 16 – 1 = 15.

Want to see something more convenient?

Take the nibble 0101, for example. I can tell you without looking that this nibble equals the decimal value of five. How? For every “on” (value of one) bit, add it to all the other “on” bits (take four from column four and one from column one, add together, and that equals five). Another example is the nibble 1111. Add up the values for those columns and you get 15 (8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15).

I would go into how you can convert decimal values into hexadecimal; however, I don’t think that you guys are quite that interested. Besides, it would seriously violate the word count limit for a DD post (but that hasn’t stopped me before). I just thought that I would show you something interesting that I learned in my first day of “Introduction to Personal Computers”.

Until next week, stay safe out there.

Rob

Sorry for the double post, but I started this thread a couple of times and found another reason to hate Internet Explorer. Apparently, anything typed in MS Word isn't too compatible with the paste function inside Internet Explorer. Everytime I edited it, the paragraph spaces got larger, text got larger, the table I used grew exponentially.

So, staff...please try not to edit out the smiley face in the table...it'll just get worse if you do.

Sorry about that folks....next time, I'll do my homework before trying to do it at work.

Rob

EDIT:

This line directly after the table that reads....

Using the binary, we start on the left with a value of one for that column.

Should read...

Using the binary, we start on the right with a value of one for that column.

Good luck with school and all. I took a networking class at a local college and we spent like 2 weeks on converting hexidecimal to binary so much fun.

01010111011011110110111100100000010010000110111101 10111100100000010000100110100101101110011000010111 00100111100100100000010000100110000101100010011110 01001000010010000000100000010001110110111101101111 01100100001000000110110001110101011000110110101100 10000001110111011010010111010001101000001000000111 00110110001101101000011011110110111101101100001000 00011000010110111001100100001000000110000101101100 01101100001000000101001001101111011000100010111000 10000000100000010010110110010101100101011100000010 00000111010101110011001000000111000001101111011100 11011101000110010101100100001000000110111101101110 00100000011010000110111101110111001000000110100101 11010001110011001000000110011101101111011010010110 11100110011100101110001000000010000001001001011011 01001000000110011101101111011010010110111001100111 00100000011101000110111100100000011001110110010101 11010000100000011011010111100100100000010000100101 00110010000001101001011011100010000001000011011011 11011011010111000001110101011101000110010101110010 00100000010100110110010101100011011101010111001001 1010010111010001111001001011100010000000100000

Nice post Rob. I hope your next article is about subnetting.

Unfortunately, it's not....that isn't until chapter 10 and I doubt that we hit on that because we'll do some basic peer-to-peer stuff. Perhaps next year when I get into the more advanced classes.

In the meantime, I've read this tutorial a couple of times in the past and it's helped somewhat. Hope it can help you, too.

LINK

Rob

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob Unfortunately, it's not....that isn't until chapter 10 and I doubt that we hit on that because we'll do some basic peer-to-peer stuff. Perhaps next year when I get into the more advanced classes. In the meantime, I've read this tutorial a couple of times in the past and it's helped somewhat. Hope it can help you, too. LINK Rob

Subnetting and CIDR notation are the most exciting thing in the world.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cpt.Planet Subnetting and CIDR notation are the most exciting thing in the world.

O evil subnetting...one thing I will not miss from all those comp. courses!

ahh it wasn't just so long ago that i was sitting in all my of IT classes going over this...junk

I'm so glad i'm finally done hehe.

Good luck with yoru BS degree. UMBC said they'll mail out my BS in Information Systems in late June...still waiting on it

Just wait untill you get to adding/subtracting/mulitpling/dividing binary numbers...adding and subtracting is easy...so is mulitplication..dont know if we did division..

1+1=10...carry the one...(10 base 2 would be 2 in base 10)

The rest pretty much follows an AND gate...

Good luck! Glad I got that done in high.

and lets hear it for the OSI model... yeah!!!

Best of luck with all of this. For as cavalier an attitude as has been displayed in this thread, I actually use alot of this stuff. It's not all BS...

Tru I think it OSI is by far the worst then comes Subnetting and then Binary.

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob …those who understand binary and those who don’t. Welcome to the first of many, many installments as I journey down the road of higher education. Recent events have me very dismayed about my job and life is a little too short to be miserable. Since I’m the “office nerd”, I’m the one who has to attempt to keep our network running and nine times out of ten, I have no clue as to what I’m doing. The other day we had some contractors come in and after talking with them a bit, I found out that they are making twice as much as I am with not much more knowledge than I got. So, back to school I go…to ITT Tech for a Bachelor of Science in Information System Security. These installments by me are, more or less, either my notes from class or my real homework (hey, no cheating). Thought, “Hey, kill two birds with one chip”. Without further delay…your lesson for today. The Language of Computers In order for machines to communicate, they need to have a basic language of their own. It not only needs to be precise, but also extremely simple. Enter…the Binary Zone! Binary, in plain English, is defined as being made of or based on two things or parts and is based upon the decimal system. Binary language itself is composed of two parts, zeros and ones. A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of information, which will either be a zero or a one. A nibble is four bits, or half of a byte. A byte is eight bits. Here is a chart that will help you throughout your computing career Hexadecimalfficeffice" /> Binary 8 4 2 1 Decimal 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 2 3 0 0 1 1 3 4 0 1 0 0 4 5 0 1 0 1 5 6 0 1 1 0 6 7 0 1 1 1 7 8 1 0 0 0 8 9 1 0 0 1 9 A 1 0 1 0 10 B 1 0 1 1 11 C 1 1 0 0 12 D 1 1 0 1 13 E 1 1 1 0 14 F 1 1 1 1 15 Using the binary, we start on the left with a value of one for that column. Since binary is based upon the base of two, the next significant number to the left of it is going to be two, then four, then eight, then 16, 32, 64, 128, etc. Do you notice something different about the binary numbers listed? Take a look at column 2 in the binary column, then look at the numbers underneath it. See the system now? You have two zeros, two ones two zeroes, two ones, etc. See it with the other columns in the binary column? Now, I only provided a table that showed all the possible combinations of a nibble (four bits or half a byte) so I could show you the hexadecimal scale, too (for all you graphic pimps out there). I could have shown you a table with five bits listed…or even six. See something else associated with the table? When it comes to decimal digits, the highest value you can count to is two times the most significant number minus one. With this chart, our most significant number is 8, so 8 * 2 = 16 – 1 = 15. Want to see something more convenient? Take the nibble 0101, for example. I can tell you without looking that this nibble equals the decimal value of five. How? For every “on” (value of one) bit, add it to all the other “on” bits (take four from column four and one from column one, add together, and that equals five). Another example is the nibble 1111. Add up the values for those columns and you get 15 (8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15). I would go into how you can convert decimal values into hexadecimal; however, I don’t think that you guys are quite that interested. Besides, it would seriously violate the word count limit for a DD post (but that hasn’t stopped me before). I just thought that I would show you something interesting that I learned in my first day of “Introduction to Personal Computers”. Until next week, stay safe out there. Rob

Wait till you learn binary IP addressing....You will suddenly open a whole new world on how computers speak together...The interenet IP address will make sense...

You will be able to look at an IP address and tell lots of things about the netowrk its on just by the numbers.....

COOL STUFF....
Liking the posts....Very informative...
Keep it up bro..
Digi

Quote: Originally Posted by Cpt.Planet Tru I think it OSI is by far the worst then comes Subnetting and then Binary.

What are you guys talking about? Subnetting ROCKS!

I took 4 semesters of CISCO in high school...damn. Sem 3 and 4 were better than 1 and 2 as a whole, but they had the bulk of the subnetting. 3-4 had a lot more hands-on stuff and less lecture than 1-2.

But just 'cause I took the course doesn't mean I fully understand it -- yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by HappyCamper What are you guys talking about? Subnetting ROCKS! I took 4 semesters of CISCO in high school...damn. Sem 3 and 4 were better than 1 and 2 as a whole, but they had the bulk of the subnetting. 3-4 had a lot more hands-on stuff and less lecture than 1-2. But just 'cause I took the course doesn't mean I fully understand it -- yet.

Cisco...in high school. What kind of school did you go to....

Quote: Originally Posted by CptPlanet Woo Hoo Binary Baby! Good luck with school and all Rob. Keep us posted on how its going. Im going to get my BS in Computer Security.

I also took Cisco Networking in high school (Watkins Glen High, NY)
along with Heathkit Computer repair (finished a semester early)
Going to college for computer repair

Just to get a piece of paper (degree) that tells everyone i know what i am doing.... (i even correct the instructors)

and i also put the computer shop out of business (according to customers their quality wasn't very good, and prices way above normal retail....)

also Rob i hope you don't forget octal on us!

Thought the line went as:
There are 10 kinds of people in this world....
Those who know binary and those who don't

(waiting for the welcome wagon......)

I also took Cisco classes when I was in high school too. When I went to college, I retook all the CCNA classes because the curriculum changed big time. I also have a CCNP class under my belt. I plan to take more CCNP classes whenever the price of fuel drops.

I'm glad I'm not the only one from the Cisco Networking Academy

01001001011101100110010100100000011011100110010101 11011001100101011100100010000001100101011101100110 01010111001000100000011101010111001101100101011001 00001000000110001001101001011011100110000101110010 01111001001000000110000101101110011001000010000001 10010001101111011011100111010000100000011010010110 11100111010001100101011011100110010000100000011101 000110111100101110

Quote: Originally Posted by Kiyusoma I also took Cisco Networking in high school (Watkins Glen High, NY) along with Heathkit Computer repair (finished a semester early) Going to college for computer repair Just to get a piece of paper (degree) that tells everyone i know what i am doing.... (i even correct the instructors) and i also put the computer shop out of business (according to customers their quality wasn't very good, and prices way above normal retail....) also Rob i hope you don't forget octal on us! Thought the line went as: There are 10 kinds of people in this world.... Those who know binary and those who don't (waiting for the welcome wagon......)

You called.......
Welcome to PimpRig............

Kick back and enjoy the show....its gona have Drama in it.....

Please check out the Sweeet Pimp Links..

• http://team.pcapex.com/
• http://gallery.pcapex.com/
• http://articles.pcapex.com/
• http://forums.uberw00t.com/
• http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/

Waiting for another wagon....hahahaha

Quote: Originally Posted by Kiyusoma Thought the line went as: There are 10 kinds of people in this world.... Those who know binary and those who don't

I thought that too, otherwise it simpy isnt funny...