Hex on the ICND1 exam?

[cpals]

I just came back from a week training for the ICND1 exam from Global Knowledge. I'm planning on taking the test Wednesday and to prepare have been studying some notes online and ran across one site that started discussing binary to hex conversions and such.

In the on-site training I went to all we went into was decimal to binary, etc... nothing hex. Are there hex questions on the exam?

Thanks!

 

[drebo]

Not really. There may be some.

When you take the test, you get a sheet of paper to use. I found it beneficial to jot down a binary-decimal-hex conversion chart for the subnets (255, 254, 252, 248, 240, etc). It sped up the process for the few questions that were on the test that needed conversions.

I don't remember any questions directly having to do with hex, but it's been a while. There may be now.

 

[mcmilljb]

Binary to hex is so easy, I don't see why you're worried. As long as you could spot 1010 = A and can count in binary/hex, you can easily convert pretty fast.

The main reason hex is used is as a short hand notation. Imagine having to write 48 bits every time you need to mention a MAC address. That would suck. Now that IPv6 has been added, you need to understand hex to write IPv6 addresses because who wants to write 128 bits each time? Not me. After you realize that, you understand it's a convenience factor.

For the exam, I think the only hex you need to know is for understanding what MAC and IPv6 addresses are. There is some hex and decimal conversion in this section: Describe the technological requirements for running IPv6 in conjunction with IPv4 (including: protocols, dual stack, tunneling, etc). Look at teredo and 6to4. Plus some protocols use sequence numbers usually written in hex (think ospf). Conversion with hex just isn't heavily used as compared to binary conversion. Just spend a few minutes thinking about the areas that use hex, and I think you'll answer the question as to how much you really need to know.

 

[Jamsan]

Originally posted by: mcmilljb
Binary to hex is so easy, I don't see why you're worried. As long as you could spot 1010 = A and can count in binary/hex, you can easily convert pretty fast.

The main reason hex is used is as a short hand notation. Imagine having to write 48 bits every time you need to mention a MAC address. That would suck. Now that IPv6 has been added, you need to understand hex to write IPv6 addresses because who wants to write 128 bits each time? Not me. After you realize that, you understand it's a convenience factor.

For the exam, I think the only hex you need to know is for understanding what MAC and IPv6 addresses are. There is some hex and decimal conversion in this section: Describe the technological requirements for running IPv6 in conjunction with IPv4 (including: protocols, dual stack, tunneling, etc). Look at teredo and 6to4. Plus some protocols use sequence numbers usually written in hex (think ospf). Conversion with hex just isn't heavily used as compared to binary conversion. Just spend a few minutes thinking about the areas that use hex, and I think you'll answer the question as to how much you really need to know.

I believe everything you mentioned is in ICND2. I think he should be OK on hex in ICND1. All hex is used for is displaying MAC addresses, but you won't be doing any conversions on them.

 

[cpals]

Originally posted by: Jamsan

Originally posted by: mcmilljb
Binary to hex is so easy, I don't see why you're worried. As long as you could spot 1010 = A and can count in binary/hex, you can easily convert pretty fast.

The main reason hex is used is as a short hand notation. Imagine having to write 48 bits every time you need to mention a MAC address. That would suck. Now that IPv6 has been added, you need to understand hex to write IPv6 addresses because who wants to write 128 bits each time? Not me. After you realize that, you understand it's a convenience factor.

For the exam, I think the only hex you need to know is for understanding what MAC and IPv6 addresses are. There is some hex and decimal conversion in this section: Describe the technological requirements for running IPv6 in conjunction with IPv4 (including: protocols, dual stack, tunneling, etc). Look at teredo and 6to4. Plus some protocols use sequence numbers usually written in hex (think ospf). Conversion with hex just isn't heavily used as compared to binary conversion. Just spend a few minutes thinking about the areas that use hex, and I think you'll answer the question as to how much you really need to know.

I believe everything you mentioned is in ICND2. I think he should be OK on hex in ICND1. All hex is used for is displaying MAC addresses, but you won't be doing any conversions on them.

Ah, yeah I was getting a little anxious as half the stuff he mentioned we never went over in class.

 

[spidey07]

Hex is VERY useful for recognizing multicast addresses at layer2 and the ability to convert from layer3 multicast to layer2 multicast addresses. It is something you really need to know.