IPv6 to Binary Converter
Turn any IPv6 address into its full 128-bit binary form. The tool expands :: shorthand and embedded IPv4 for you, then shows each 16-bit hextet in binary as well as the complete 128-bit string.
2001:db8::1), full, or IPv4-mapped (::ffff:192.0.2.1) forms.
An IPv6 address is 128 bits long — four times the size of a 32-bit IPv4 address. To keep it readable, those 128 bits are grouped into eight hextets of 16 bits each and written in hexadecimal, separated by colons. Converting to binary simply reverses that shorthand: each hex digit becomes four binary digits, and each hextet becomes a 16-digit binary group.
Seeing the raw bits is genuinely useful. Prefix boundaries in IPv6 — a /48, a /56, a /64 — fall on specific bit positions, and looking at the binary makes it obvious which bits are the network prefix and which are the interface identifier. It also demystifies special addresses: the link-local range fe80::/10, for instance, is defined by the first ten bits, which is much clearer in binary than in hex.
Each hexadecimal digit maps to exactly four bits: d = 1101, b = 1011, 8 = 1000. So the hextet db8 expands to 0000 1101 1011 1000. Eight 16-bit groups joined together give you the full 128-bit address.
Because the whole conversion happens in your browser, nothing you paste is ever transmitted. If you want the wider picture of how IPv6 differs from the older protocol, the IPv4 vs IPv6 guide is a good primer, and the history of IPv6 explains why the designers reached for 128 bits. To work in the other direction or normalise an address first, try the IPv6 Expand & Compress tool, and for subnet planning see the IPv6 Subnet Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many bits are in an IPv6 address?
An IPv6 address is 128 bits long, written as eight 16-bit groups (hextets) of four hexadecimal digits. That is four times the 32 bits of an IPv4 address, which is why IPv6 has such an enormous address space.
How do you convert one IPv6 hextet to binary?
Each hextet is a 16-bit number written in hexadecimal. Convert the hex value to base 2 and pad it to 16 digits. For example db8 is 0000 1101 1011 1000. Eight of these 16-bit groups make up the full 128-bit address.
Do I need to expand the address before converting?
No — this tool expands the address for you. It handles the :: shorthand and embedded IPv4 forms automatically, filling in the zero groups so the resulting binary is always a complete 128-bit string.
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