Introduction to binary 111000001010101010

Let's think about how you are processing this information while you are reading this article, you probably reading this article from your network device, cellphone, laptop, tablet, desktop etc. and you most likely understand the English language right? It's the same how network devices communicate on a network. They have a certain language that connect and communicate with each other. 

Let's just say you got a new computer, and you plug it in the network cable it will go through 1's and 0's. 

Fibre optic cables goes through light, when communicating from one p.c to the next. Or it goes through waves if its wireless.

All computers on a network uses 1's and 0's.

So how does 1 and 0 work in order for them to be utilized we can differentiate them by knowing their status either they will be 1= On or 0= Off.

One value can either be a 1 or 0 and they are both called a bit. When you have:

8 bits = 1 BYTE (OCTET)

1024 BYTES = 1 KILOBYTE

1024 KILOBYTES = 1 MEGABYTE

1024 MEGABYTE = 1 GIGABYTE

1024 GIGABYTE = 1 TERABYTE

Did you ever come across this and wonder what is the difference 10MBps and 10Mbps they might look the same but they are different. Why is that? 

10MBps represent the value = 10 Megabytes which means 10 OCTETS are being referred to.

Whereas 10 Mbits is referring to 1 bit. Now let's look at the below illustration to make things a bit clear:

 

                                                                      BYTE|OCTET

                                                 1           1        1        1       1       1      1     1                                                    

                                                                                                                        =   255

                                               128     64     32     16      8      4     2     1

What are we doing here? We simply doubling the 1x1=2 2x2=4 and we do this with all the numbers going from left to right. Let's say all the bits are turned on, and if it has a 1 it will be turned on, it will give us the highest number of 255 which will happen by adding all the numbers 1 - 128.

 

                                                                       BYTE|OCTET

                                                 0         0       0       0      0      0    0   0                                                    

                                                                                                                        =   0

                                               128     64     32     16      8      4     2     1

If all the numbers are o this means all the OCTETS are turned off and will therefore be 0.

Why the fuss about binary numbers? This is important when you are working with I.P addresses.