diff --git a/scripts/build.sh b/scripts/build.sh
index e02b832..720f544 100755
--- a/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build.sh
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ echo "Building tools..."
 mkdir -pv bin/tools
 # add compile commands to this array
 COMPILE_COMMANDS=(
-    "$CXX_WITH_FLAGS src/tools/dumpnbt.cpp -Lbin/lib -l:nbt.so -o bin/tools/dumpnbt"
+    "$CXX_WITH_FLAGS src/tools/dumpnbt.cpp -Lbin/lib -l:nbt.so -o bin/tools/dumpnbt",
+    "$CXX_WITH_FLAGS src/tools/hexnet.cpp -Ldependencies/sockpp-0.7.1/build -l:libsockpp.so -Idependencies/sockpp-0.7.1/include -o bin/tools/hexnet"
 )
 for command in ${!COMPILE_COMMANDS[@]}; do
     echo "${COMPILE_COMMANDS[command]}"
diff --git a/src/tools/hexnet.cpp b/src/tools/hexnet.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28483e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/hexnet.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+//Copyright 2022, FOSS-VG Developers and Contributers
+//
+//This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+//under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+//by the Free Software Foundation, version 3.
+//
+//This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+//but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
+//warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+//See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+//
+//You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+//version 3 along with this program.
+//If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <cctype>
+
+#define usage std::cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " [-4|-6] [-t|-u] <port>" << std::endl << "<port> may be hexadecimal (prefixed with 0x) or binary (prefixed with 0b)." << std::endl
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[]){
+
+    // Argument parsing ################################################
+    bool ipv4 = true;
+    bool ipv6 = true;
+    bool tcp = true;
+    bool udp = true;
+    uint16_t port;
+    if (argc<2) {
+        usage;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    for (int i=1; i<argc; i++) {
+        std::string argument(argv[i]);
+        if (argument=="-4") {
+            ipv4 = true;
+            ipv6 = false;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (argument=="-6") {
+            ipv4 = false;
+            ipv6 = true;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (argument=="-t") {
+            tcp = true;
+            udp = false;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (argument=="-u") {
+            tcp = false;
+            udp = true;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (argument=="-h") {
+            usage;
+            return 0;
+        }
+        if (argument=="--help") {
+            usage;
+            return 0;
+        }
+        if (i==argc-1) {
+            if (argument.substr(0, 2)=="0b" || argument.substr(0, 2)=="0B") {
+                // check for 16 bit binary number
+                for (char const &digit : argument.substr(2,argument.length())) {
+                    if (digit=='0' || digit=='1') {
+                        ;
+                    } else {
+                        std::cerr << argument << " is not a valid port." << std::endl;
+                        usage;
+                        return 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                if (argument.length()>18) {
+                    std::cerr << argument << " is too big for a valid port." << std::endl;
+                    usage;
+                    return 1;
+                }
+                port = (uint16_t) std::stoul(argument.substr(2, argument.length()), nullptr, 2);
+            } else if (argument.substr(0, 2)=="0x" || argument.substr(0, 2)=="0X") {
+                // check for four digit hex number
+                for (char const &digit : argument.substr(2,argument.length())) {
+                    if (std::isxdigit(digit)==0) {
+                        std::cerr << argument << " is not a valid port." << digit << std::endl;
+                        usage;
+                        return 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                if (argument.length()>6) {
+                    std::cerr << argument << " is too big for a valid port." << std::endl;
+                    usage;
+                    return 1;
+                }
+                port = (uint16_t) std::stoul(argument.substr(2, argument.length()), nullptr, 16);
+            } else {
+                // check for decimal number between 0 and 65536 exclusively
+                for (char const &digit : argument) {
+                    if (std::isdigit(digit)==0) {
+                        std::cerr << argument << " is not a valid port." << std::endl;
+                        usage;
+                        return 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                // using unsigned long here because that's how stoul()
+                // is defined
+                unsigned long argumentNumber = std::stoul(argument, nullptr, 10);
+                if (argumentNumber > 65535) {
+                    std::cerr << argument << " is too big for a valid port." << std::endl;
+                    usage;
+                    return 1;
+                }
+                port = (uint16_t) argumentNumber;
+            }
+            break; // last argument anyway
+        }
+        usage;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    // Argument parsing end ############################################
+
+    //TODO: implement the actual tool
+}