Comptia Network + Testing Guide

Follows are briefed from Comptia official website www.comptia.org

What is Network+ Certification and What do Employers look for N+ Certification?

CompTIA Network+ Certification ---from Comptia Website www.comptia.org

The CompTIA Network+ certification is the worldwide standard for professionals with at
least nine months of experience in network support or administration.

A Network+ certification demonstrates your technical abilities in networking administration

and support, and validates your knowledge of media and topologies, protocols and
standards, network implementation, and network support. If you have nine months of
network administration and support experience, Network+ is ideal for you.

Network+ and Your Career

Many corporations recommend or require the Network+ certification for their IT employees.
Companies like CDW Computer Centers and CompuCom know the value of a Network+
certification and require it of their IT employees. NexInnovations relies on IT certififcations to
validate the skills of their employees —

"A+ is the foundation of NexInnovations' training and certification program. We look for
certifications that cover the broadest number of makes and models. When we add Network+
and Server+ to the mix, our employees show a versatility that's hard to beat."

"CompTIA A+ is the foundation of NexInnovations' training and certification program, but

that's just the start. There's great value in Network+ and Server+ to round out the skill set
and provide a solid career path for our employees."

Domenic Creo, Director,Clients Operations Management, NexInnovations

As the demand for skilled network support professionals grows, Network+ is quickly
becoming the standard for networking competency. Network+ is the perfect entry point into
a networking career.

N+ Exam Objectives Please click to download from comptia.org

http://www.comptia.org/certification/Network/objectives.aspx

Dump Sites:
www.transcender.com
www.braindumpcentral.com
www.examsheets.net
www.exactquestions.com
www.real-exams.com
 www.braindumps.biz
www.freetestpractice.com
and more …

There are hundreds of dump sites available. Some of them are really helpful and
some may not be useful at all. Couple of “good” sites had been cracked down by
either Comptia or Microsoft. The sites listed above are pretty good. Don’t be
surprised, by the time you read this, some of the sites above has been vanished.
However, I will recommend any book from the publishers below.

Good Reference Books (Make sure you pick the latest edition when available .)

• Network+ All-in-One Lab Manual;Catherine Creary, Kent Beckert

• Network+ Exam Cram 2 (Exam N10-002); Mike Harwood, Ed Tittel
• Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Lab Manual; Mike Meyers, Total Seminars Staff
• Network+ Study Guide ; David Groth

Read the book, work on computers and visit dump sites before taking exams.

Tips and Tricks and some General Q&As

1. You can register online at www.vue.com call VUE a t 1-877-551-7587 or call your
testing site to register your test. Most testing centers also accept walk-in
registration. If you register online, you have to wait 24 hours to take the exam.
Walk-in to your testing center could be easier, you should be able to take the test
in few minutes. But check with your testing center’s availabilities. For a list of
VUE testing centers, visit www.vue.com and click “Test Center Locator”.

2. What to bring to testing center?

Two forms of ID, any two --- Passport, Driver License, Student ID, Job ID…
Testing center should provide you with paper, pencil (or erasable pad). They will
collect the paper or pad when you finish your exam. They may also ask you to
put your bag, books, cellular phone, pager.. at separate place.

3. Test administrator didn’t know what he/she is talking about:

Test administrator “shouldn’t” know that much. At one time some exam providers
restricted those who pass the exam(s) from doing administration jobs. So, test
administrators can’t be too smart. Their jobs were to check your Ids, bring you to
the testing station and wish you good luck.

4. Some testing sites are noisy, computers are too slow…..

 Yes, some testing centers use classroom/lab or hallway for testing and do not
have a proper enclosure to the testing area. Some use “old” computers for the
testing. The fact is that testing centers get few dollars on your test. A lot of testing
centers say the fees they collect from VUE can’t even cover the electricity for the
computer. The only reason they maintain the testing is to provide a “one-stop-
shopping” for their prospect students. They don’t want to send their students to
other schools.

You may want to check with your friends or instructors for suggestions. You may
have to pay a visit to the testing center first before registering your exam.

5. Is there any break during the test?

Yes and no. You may “have to” go to restroom for some 4 hour exams (like
Microsoft). For the N+ exams (90 minutes) each, you may want to “clean up”
yourself before starting your exam.

6. Can I reschedule my exam?

Yes, VUE policy says one day in advance. Testing center should be able to do it
right before your exam time.

7. Can I take the exam after the scheduled time?

Most testing center will allow you to take the exam on the day you scheduled
even though you come in late. However, your exam will be “disappeared” on the
following day. The testing center can’t do anything about it. The exceptions are (1)
extreme situation, like hurricane, snow storm, flooding, blackouts ..(2)
unexpected personal reason, you have to provide police report, doctor’s
proof …The personal reason would be reviewed and determined by VUE.

8. How long do I wait to receive my certificate?

You will receive your certificate and ID card within 4 - 6 weeks of passing your
exam, according to Comptia. Some people received it in two weeks. If you have
not received your materials after 8 weeks, call Comptia at the number listed on
your score report.

9. How long do I wait to retake the exam?

You can retake the exam any time in case you do not pass at first attempt. For
third or consequence attempts, you have to wait for 30 days.

10. There are hundreds of dump sites, which one do you recommend?
There are hundreds of dump sites available. Some of them are really helpful and
some may not be useful at all. Couple of “good” sites had been cracked down by
either Comptia or Microsoft. The sites listed above are pretty good ones.

Always carefully verify the questions and answers that someone like you are
posted. Whenever you see any question/answer confusing, check with book, in
most cases, you are right. But again, challenge it and verify it.

Too many mistakes from those dump sites. If I found out some mistakes from
same author, I will skip his/her questions or the entire site.
 More on Q&A:

1. How many questions?

2. How long the exam?
3. What is the passing score?

Most test takers ask about above questions. You spent hours searching online for
answers. Your friends, your teachers and everyone gave you different answers.

The correct answer is – I don’t know. Comptia may change the questions every
once in a while. Comptia works very hard to crack down those dump sites and cram
books. It may come out to your surprise when you start your exam. The first screen
tells you totally different answer than you had been told.

Good thing is Comptia “finally” and “officially” puts-it-in-writing on its website.

As of April 2004, the current N+ Exams:

Network + (N10-002) 72 questions, 90 minutes 646 (out of 900) to pass

More on Exam objectives:

Network Plus exam covers 4 modules as listed below. Insert with **italic** are
new items appeared on the recent exams.

Domain % of Exam
1.0 Media & Topologies 20%
2.0 Protocols & Standards 25%
3.0 Network Implementation 23%
4.0 Network Support 32%
Total 100.00%

DOMAIN 1.0: Media and Topologies

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

• Star/Hierarchical
• bus
• mesh
• ring
• wireless

1.2 Specify the main features of 802.2 (LLC), 802.3 (Ethernet), 802.5 (token ring), 802.11b, 802.11g (wireless) and
FDDI networking technologies, including: Speed

• Access
• Method
• Topology
• Media
1.3 Specify the characteristics (e.g., speed, length, topology, cable type, etc.) of the following:

• 802.11b, 802.11g
• 802.3 (Ethernet) standards
• 10BASE-T
• 100BASE-TX
• 10BASE2
• 10BASE5
• 100BASE-FX
• Gigabit Ethernet

1.4 Recognize the following media connectors and/or describe their uses:

• RJ-11
• RJ-45
• AUI
• BNC
• ST
• SC
• USB and Firewire

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

1.6 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

DOMAIN 2.0: Protocols and Standards

2.1 Give an example/identify a MAC address

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

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

• TCP/IP
• IPX/SPX
• NetBEUI
• AppleTalk

2.4 Identify the OSI layers at which the following network components operate:

• Hubs
• Switches
• Bridges
 • Routers
• Network Interface Cards

2.5 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

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

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

2.8 Identify IP addresses (Ipv4, Ipv6) and their default subnet masks.

2.9 Identify the purpose of subnetting and default gateways.

2.10 Identify the differences between public vs. private networks

2.11 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

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

• RAS
• PPP
• PPTP
• ICA

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

• IPsec
• L2TP
• SSL
• Kerberos

DOMAIN 3.0: Network Implementation

3.1 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

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

3.3 Identify the main characteristics of VLANs.

3.4 Identify the main characteristics of network attached storage.

3.5 Identify the purpose and characteristics of fault tolerance.

3.6 Identify the purpose and characteristics of disaster recovery.

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

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

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

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

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

DOMAIN 4.0: Network Support

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

• Tracert
• Ping
• Arp
• Netstat
• Nbtstat
• Ipconfig/Ifconfig
• Winipcfg
• Nslookup

If you are not sure about DOS commands, go to “Start”-“help” type MS-DOS Commands. You can play
around those commands. Make sure not to “format” or “deltree” your hard disk.

4.2 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.

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

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

• UNIX/Linux
 • Netware
• Windows
• Macintosh

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

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

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

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

4.9 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

4.10 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 effected and
the cause of the problem.

4.11 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.

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

If you are going to take the Windows 2000/XP MCP exam(s), you may want to get into more details on
2000/xp Professional and Server materials. It helps you a lot in preparing N+ exam. In fact, a lot of guys
pass the MCP exams with days after Network Plus exam.

Is DOS a dinosaur? No. In “earlier days”—20 years ago, we used “DIR, CHKDSK, FORMAT …” 10 years
ago, we used “PING, TRACERT, ...”. Those are easy and handy tools. You can simply from your
Windows 2000 or XP click Start-help and type MS-DOS for a list of commands. Believe me, those are
useful and may appear on your O.S. exam. Once you get a little more experience with DOS, you will find
out that the Cisco commands and Linux commands won’t be that hard if you continue your certification
journey.

Now, you are ready.

Have a good night sleep and Good Luck for your test tomorrow!