Introduction

The CompTIA Network+ exam has become the leading introductory-level network certification available today. Network+ is recognized by both employers and industry giants such as Microsoft and Novell as providing candidates with a solid foundation of networking concepts, terminology, and skills. The Network+ exam covers a broad range of networking concepts, to prepare candidates for the technologies that they are likely to be working with in today's network environments.

This book is your one-stop shop. Everything you need to know to pass the exam is in here. You do not have to take a class in addition to buying this book in order to pass the exam. However, depending on your personal study habits or learning style, you might benefit from buying this book and taking a class.

Training guides are meticulously crafted to give you the best possible learning experience for the particular characteristics of the technology covered and the actual certification exam. The instructional design that is implemented in the training guides reflects the task-and experience-based nature of CompTIA certification exams. The training guides provide you with the factual knowledge base you need for the exams, but then take it to the next level, with exercises and exam questions that require you to engage in the analytic thinking that is needed to pass the Network+ exam.

CompTIA recommends that the typical candidate for this exam have a minimum of nine months' experience in network support and administration. In addition, CompTIA recommends that candidates have preexisting hardware knowledge such as CompTIA A+ certification.

How This Book Helps You

This book takes you on a self-guided tour of all the areas covered by the Network+ exam and teaches you the specific skills you need in order to achieve your certification. The book also contains helpful hints, tips, real-world examples, and exercises, as well as references to additional study materials. Specifically, this book is set up to help you in the following ways:

• Organization— This book is organized by individual exam objectives. Every objective you need to know for the Network+ exam is covered in this book. We have attempted to present the objectives in an order that is as close as possible to that listed by CompTIA. However, we have not hesitated to reorganize them where needed to make the material as easy as possible for you to learn. We have also attempted to make the information accessible in the following ways:

  • The full list of exam units and objectives is included in this introduction.

  • Each chapter begins with a list of the objectives to be covered.

  • Each chapter also begins with an outline that provides you with an overview of the material and the page numbers where particular topics can be found.

  • The objectives are repeated where the material most directly relevant to it is covered.

• Instructional features— This book has been designed to provide you with multiple ways to learn and reinforce the exam material. Following are some of the helpful methods:

  • Objective explanations— As mentioned previously, each chapter begins with a list of the objectives covered in the chapter. In addition, immediately following each objective is an explanation of the objective, in a context that defines it meaningfully.

  • Study strategies— The beginning of each chapter also includes strategies for approaching the studying and retention of the material in the chapter, particularly as it is addressed on the exam, but also in ways that will benefit you on the job.

  • Exam tips— Exam tips provide specific exam-related advice. Such tips might address what material is covered (or not covered) on the exam, how it is covered, mnemonic devices, or particular quirks of that exam.

  • Review breaks and summaries— Crucial information is summarized at various points in the book in lists or tables. Each chapter ends with a summary as well.

  • Key terms— A list of key terms appears at the end of each chapter.

  • Notes— Notes contain various kinds of useful or practical information such as tips on technology or administrative practices, historical background on terms and technologies, or side commentary on industry issues.

  • Warnings— When using sophisticated information technology, there is always the potential for mistakes or even catastrophes to occur because of improper application of the technology. Warnings alert you to such potential problems.

  • In the Field sidebars— These relatively extensive discussions cover material that might not be directly relevant to the exam but that is useful as reference material or in everyday practice. In the Field sidebars also provide useful background or contextual information that is necessary for understanding the larger topic under consideration.

  • Exercises— Found at the end of the chapters in the “Apply Your Knowledge” section, exercises are performance-based opportunities for you to learn and assess your knowledge.

• Extensive practice test options— The book provides numerous opportunities for you to assess your knowledge and practice for the exam. The practice options include the following:

  • Exam questions— These questions appear in the “Apply Your Knowledge” section. You can use them to help determine what you know and what you need to review or study further. Answers and explanations for these questions are provided in a separate section, titled “Answers to Exam Questions.”

  • Practice exam— A practice exam is included in the “Final Review” section of the book. The “Final Review” section and the practice exam are discussed below.

  • PrepLogic— The PrepLogic, Preview Edition software, which is included on the CD-ROM, provides further practice questions.

    NOTE

    PrepLogic, Preview Edition Software For a complete description of the PrepLogic test engine, please see Appendix D, “Using the PrepLogic Practice Tests, Preview Edition Software.”

    
    

• Final Review— This part of the book provides three valuable tools for preparing for the exam:

  • Fast Facts— This condensed version of the information contained in the book is extremely useful for last-minute review.

  • Study and Exam Tips— You should read this section early on, to help develop study strategies. This section also provides you with valuable exam-day tips and information on exam/question formats such as adaptive tests and case study–based questions.

  • Practice exam— A practice test is included. Questions on this practice exam are written in styles similar to those used on the actual exam. You should use the practice exam to assess your readiness for the real thing. Use the extensive answer explanations to improve your retention and understanding of the material.

The book includes several other features, such as a section titled “Suggested Readings and Resources” at the end of each chapter that directs you to additional information that can aid you in your exam preparation and your real-life work. There are valuable appendixes as well, including a glossary (Appendix A), an overview of the certification process (Appendix B), a description of what is on the CD-ROM (Appendix C), and a discussion of the PrepLogic, Preview Edition, software (Appendix D).

For more information about the exam or the certification process, refer to the CompTIA Web site, at www.comptia.org/certification.

What the Network+ Certification (N10-002) Exam Covers

The CompTIA Network+ exam covers a broad range of networking technologies and concepts. The objectives for the exam are classified into four networking domains:

• Media and topologies

• Protocols and standards

• Network implementation

• Network support

Each of these domains is broken down into specific exam objectives. Before taking the exam, you should be proficient in each of the objectives within each domain. These objectives and subobjectives are described in the following sections.

Recognize the following logical or physical topologies, given a schematic diagram or description:

• Star/hierarchical

• Bus

• Mesh

• Ring

• Wireless

Specify the main features of the 802.2 (LLC), 802.3 (Ethernet), 802.5 (Token Ring), 802.11b (wireless), and FDDI networking technologies, including the following:

• Speed

• Access method

• Topology

• Media

Specify the characteristics (for example, speed, length, topology, cable type) of the following IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) standards:

• 10BaseT

• 10BaseTX

• 10Base2

• 10Base5

• 100BaseFX

• Gigabit Ethernet

Recognize the following media connectors and describe their uses:

• RJ-11

• RJ-45

• AUI

• BNC

• ST

• SC

Choose the appropriate media type and connectors to add a client to an existing network.

Identify the purpose, features, and functions of the following network components:

• Hubs

• Switches

• Bridges

• Routers

• Gateways

• CSU/DSU

• Network interface cards/ISDN adapters/system area network cards

• Wireless access points

• Modems

Given an example, identify a MAC address.

Identify the seven layers of the OSI model and their functions.

Differentiate between the following network protocols in terms of routing, addressing schemes, interoperability, and naming conventions:

• TCP/IP

• IPX/SPX

• NetBEUI

• AppleTalk

Identify the OSI layers at which the following network components operate

• Hubs

• Switches

• Bridges

• Routers

• Network interface cards

Define the purpose, function, and/or use of the following protocols within TCP/IP:

• IP

• TCP

• UDP

• FTP

• TFTP

• SMTP

• HTTP

• HTTPS

• POP3/IMAP4

• Telnet

• ICMP

• ARP

• NTP

Define the function of TCP/UDP ports. Identify well-known ports.

Identify the purpose of the following network services (e.g. DHCP/bootp, DNS, NAT/ICS, WINS, and SNMP).

Identify IP addresses (IPv4, IPv6) and their default subnet masks.

Identify the purpose of subnetting and default gateways.

Identify the differences between public vs. private networks.

Identify the basic characteristics (e.g., speed, capacity, media) of the following WAN technologies:

• Packet switching vs. circuit switching

• ISDN

• FDDI

• ATM

• Frame Relay

• Sonet/SDH

• T1/E1

• T3/E3

• OCX

Define the function of the following remote access protocols and services:

• RAS

• PPP

• PPTP

• ICA

Identify the following security protocols and describe their purpose and function:

• IPSec

• L2TP

• SSL

• Kerberos

Identify the basic capabilities (i.e. client support, interoperability, authentication, file and print services, application support, and security) of the following server operating systems:

• Unix/Linux

• NetWare

• Windows

• Macintosh

Identify the basic capabilities of client workstations (i.e., client connectivity, local security mechanisms, and authentication).

Identify the main characteristics of VLANs.

Identify the main characteristics of network attached storage.

Identify the purpose and characteristics of fault tolerance.

Identify the purpose and characteristics of disaster recovery.

Given a remote connectivity scenario (e.g., IP, IPX, dial-up, PPPoE, authentication, physical connectivity etc.), configure the connection.

Identify the purpose, benefits, and characteristics of using a firewall.

Identify the purpose, benefits, and characteristics of using a proxy.

Given a scenario, predict the impact of a particular security implementation on network functionality (e.g. blocking port numbers, encryption, etc.).

Given a network configuration, select the appropriate NIC and network configuration settings (DHCP, DNS,WINS, protocols, NETBIOS/host name, etc.).

Given a troubleshooting scenario, select the appropriate TCP/IP utility from among the following:

• tracert

• ping

• arp

• netstat

• nbtstat

• ipconfig/ifconfig

• winipcfg

• nslookup

Given a troubleshooting scenario involving a small office/home office network failure (e.g., xDSL, cable, home satellite, wireless, POTS), identify the cause of the failure.

Given a troubleshooting scenario involving a remote connectivity problem (e.g., authentication failure, protocol configuration, physical connectivity) identify the cause of the problem.

Given specific parameters, configure a client to connect to the following servers:

• Unix/Linux

• NetWare

• Windows

• Macintosh

Given a wiring task, select the appropriate tool (e.g., wire crimper, media tester/certifier, punch down tool, tone generator, optical tester, etc.).

Given a network scenario, interpret visual indicators (e.g., link lights, collision lights, etc.) to determine the nature of the problem.

Given output from a diagnostic utility (e.g. tracert, ping, ipconfig, etc.), identify the utility and interpret the output.

Given a scenario, predict the impact of modifying, adding, or removing network services (e.g., DHCP, DNS, WINS, etc.) on network resources and users.

Given a network problem scenario, select an appropriate course of action based on a general troubleshooting strategy. This strategy includes the following steps:

• Establish the symptoms
  
  
• Identify the affected area
  
  
• Establish what has changed
  
  
• Select the most probable cause
  
  
• Implement a solution
  
  
• Test the result
  
  
• Recognize the potential effects of the solution
  
  
• Document the solution
  
  

Given a troubleshooting scenario involving a network with a particular physical topology (i.e., bus, star/hierarchical, mesh, ring, and wireless) and including a network diagram, identify the network area affected and the cause of the problem.

Given a network troubleshooting scenario involving a client connectivity problem (e.g., incorrect protocol/client software/authentication configuration, or insufficient rights/permission), identify the cause of the problem.

Given a network troubleshooting scenario involving a wiring/infrastructure problem, identify the cause of the problem (e.g., bad media, interference, network hardware).

Network Hardware and Software Requirements

As a self-paced study guide, Network+ Certification Training Guide is meant to help you understand concepts that must be refined through hands-on experience. To make the most of your studying, you need to have as much background on and experience with both common operating systems and networks environments as possible. The best way to do this is to combine studying with work on actual networks. These networks need not be complex; the concepts involved in configuring a network with only a few computers follow the same principles as those involved in configuring a network that has hundreds of connected systems. This section describes the recommended requirements you need to form a solid practice environment.

To fully practice some of the exam objectives, you need to create a network with two (or more) computers networked together. To do this, you need an operating system. CompTIA maintains that the exam is vendor neutral, and for the most part it appears to be. However, if there were a slight tilt in the exam questions, it would be toward Microsoft Windows. Therefore, you would do well to set up a small network using a Microsoft server platform such as Windows 2000 server. In addition, you need clients with operating systems such as Windows 98/Me, Linux, or Mac. When you really get into it, you might want to install a Linux server as well because you are most certainly going to be working with them in the real world. The following is a detailed list of the hardware and software requirements needed to set up your network:

• A network operating system such as Windows 2000 Server or Linux.

• Client operating system software such as Windows 98/Me.

• A Pentium 233MHz (or better). (Pentium 300 MHz is recommended.)

• A minimum 1.5GB of free disk space.

• Super VGA (800×600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor.

• A mouse or an equivalent pointing device.

• A CD-ROM or DVD drive.

• A network interface card (NIC) for each computer system.

• Network cabling such as Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair.

• A two-port (or more) miniport hub to create a test network.

• 128MB of RAM or higher (64MB minimum).

It's easy to obtain access to the necessary computer hardware and software in a corporate business environment. It can be difficult, however, to allocate enough time within the busy workday to complete a self-study program. Most of your study time will occur after normal working hours, away from the everyday interruptions and pressures of your regular job.

Advice on Taking the Exam

More extensive tips are found in the “Study and Exam Prep Tips” section, but keep this advice in mind as you study:

• Read all the material— CompTIA has been known to include material that is not expressly specified in the objectives. This book includes additional information that is not reflected in the objectives, in an effort to give you the best possible preparation for the examination—and for your real-world experiences to come.

• Complete the exercises in each chapter— They will help you gain experience in using the specified methodology or approach. CompTIA exams may require task-and experienced-based knowledge and require you to have an understanding of how certain network procedures are accomplished.

• Use the exam questions to assess your knowledge— Don't just read the chapter content; use the exam questions to find out what you know and what you don't know. If you are struggling, study some more, review, and then assess your knowledge again.

• Review the objectives— Develop your own questions and examples for each objective listed. If you can develop and answer several questions for each objective, you should not find it difficult to pass the exam.

Remember that the primary object is not to pass the exam, but to understand the material. When you understand the material, passing the exam should be simple. Knowledge is a pyramid; to build upward, you need a solid foundation. This book and the Network+ certification are designed to ensure that you have that solid foundation.

Good luck!