I am studying for my CCNA and am questioning how important being able to convert from binary to decimal, etc is. The network I deal with on a daily basis is using the 10.0 internal IP address and I dont see that changing. It seems like there is a lot of emphasis on doing the different types of math much more than I would expect. Is it really that important?
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I can see where currently being able to do the math might not seem that important. But! If your company changes ISPs or acquires another company and you need to integrate their network into yours, being able to “do the math” could save you a lot of grief in figuring out how to meld things together.
Doing the math is just a matter of practice, practice and some more practice. To be successful on any of the Cisco certification exams, you need to be able to look at the question and just about be able to “think” the answer out. Sometimes you may still need to do the calculations on paper. To qoute Chris Bryant, if you can add and subtract, you can do the math needed to get you through the exam.
Bryant has a series of eBooks that might be just the ticket to help you get a firm footing on doing the math. Another source of help that you may want to look at is Paul Browning’s Networks Inc Ltd site that also has some information that could be of use. Practice and it will get easier.
