Different computers use different conventions for ordering the bytes within multibyte integer values. Some computers put the most significant byte first (known as big-endian order) and others put the least-significant byte first (known as little-endian order). To work with computers that use different byte ordering, all integer values that are sent over the network are sent in network byte order which has the most significant byte first.

The NetworkToHostOrder method converts multibyte integer values that are stored on the host system from the byte order used by the network to the byte order used by the host.

The following example uses the NetworkToHostOrder method to convert an integer value from network byte order to host byte order.

Public Sub NetworkToHostOrder_Integer(networkByte As Integer)
    Dim hostByte As Integer
    ' Converts an integer value from network byte order to host byte order.
    hostByte = IPAddress.NetworkToHostOrder(networkByte)
    Console.WriteLine("Network byte order to Host byte order of {0} is {1}", networkByte, hostByte)
End Sub 'NetworkToHostOrder_Integer

public void NetworkToHostOrder_Integer(int networkByte)
{
  int hostByte;
  // Converts an integer value from network byte order to host byte order.
  hostByte = IPAddress.NetworkToHostOrder(networkByte);
  Console.WriteLine("Network byte order to Host byte order of {0} is {1}", networkByte, hostByte);
}

void NetworkToHostOrder_Integer( int networkByte )
{
   int hostByte;
   // Converts an integer value from network Byte order to host Byte order.
   hostByte = IPAddress::NetworkToHostOrder( networkByte );
   Console::WriteLine( "Network Byte order to Host Byte order of {0} is {1}", networkByte, hostByte );
}

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC

.NET Framework

.NET Compact Framework

Reference