My intention was not to mislead or misinform, however do keep in mind that the article was dedicated to SQL Server efficiency. I am fully versed in how 32-bit network addresses function and I understand your concern for incorrect translation. As Elliott has pointed out before, there is no one shoe fits all solution. The SQL Server int datatype was chosen and worked around its limitations for it's native advantages. The binary datatype has unfortunate limitations that are not present with int. If native translation from SQL Server to your application is important or frequent because you do a lot of in application IP address processing then binary is the way to go for you.