Why CompTIA N+ Certification is Essential for Aspiring IT Professionals
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Are you planning to enter the IT domain? Are you set to shape your dream of becoming an IT engineer? Here you go! Network Kings is ready to help you with real-time, experienced industry engineers. CompTIA N+ Certification is your key to be the one.
Why CompTIA N+?
CompTIA N+, Network+ is a beginner-level certification course curated for those aspiring to become an IT professional by acquiring the skillset of a network engineer.
If you want to stand out in the industry or build a grasp on core networking skills, CompTIA N+ is the only aid you need. Let us understand the need in detail.
Why is CompTIA N+ essential for aspiring IT professionals?
CompTIA N+ is essential for aspiring IT professionals since it feeds the learners with the core skills required to establish, maintain, troubleshoot and secure networks in any environment, preparing them for a bright and promising career in networking and cybersecurity.
It validates the networking understanding, network implementation, network operation, network security, and network troubleshooting methodologies and addresses common issues related to networking, including cable, connectivity, and software problems.
How will earning the CompTIA N+ certification benefit me?
CompTIA N+ certification will ensure you have mastered all the required skills for further networking or cybersecurity studies. The certification validates that you have conquered the core knowledge of all the related concepts.
This certification will strengthen your resume since it is globally regarded and is accepted everywhere with open arms.
Can I land a job after completing the CompTIA N+ course?
Indeed, you can land a job after earning the CompTIA N+ course certification. The following job profiles are available after completing this program-
Network Administrator
IT Support Specialist
Network Technician
Help Desk Technician
System Administrator
To land a high-paying job, CompTIA N+ is not enough. You must add more certifications to your list and upskill as per industry standards and requirements.
Are there any exams associated with the CompTIA N+ program?
The CompTIA N+ certification program comprises one exam. The details are as follows-
Exam Code: N10-008
Exam Cost: 369 USD
Exam Format: MCQs and Performance-based
Total Questions: 90 Questions
Exam Duration: 90 Minutes
Exam Language: English, German, Portuguese and Spanish
Passing Marks: 720 (on a scale of 100-900)
Testing Provider: Pearson VUE
What will I learn with CompTIA N+ certification at Network Kings?
You will learn the following with CompTIA N+ certification at Network Kings-
Module 1: Networking Concepts
Protocols
Explain the purposes and uses of ports and protocols.
Protocols and ports
Protocol types
Connection-oriented vs. Connectionless
OSI Model
Explain devices, applications, protocols and services at their appropriate OSI layers.
Layer 1 – Physical
Layer 2 – Datalink
Layer 3 – Network
Layer 4 – Transport
Layer 5 – Session
Layer 6 – Presentation
Layer 7 – Application
Routing and Switching
Explain the concepts and characteristics of routing and switching.
Properties of network traffic
Segmentation and interface properties
Routing
IPv6 concepts
Performance concepts
NAT/PAT
Port forwarding
Access control list
Distributed switching
Packet-switched vs. circuit-switched network
Software-defined networking
IP Addressing Components
Given a scenario, configure the appropriate IP addressing components.
Private vs. Public
Loopback and reserved
Default gateway
Virtual IP
Subnet mask
Subnetting
Classful (Classes A, B, C, D and E)
Classless [VLSM, CIDR notation (IPv4 vs. IPv6)]
Address assignments
DHCP
DHCPv6
Static
APIPA
EUI64
IP reservations
Network Topologies
Compare and contrast the characteristics of network topologies, types and technologies.
Wired topologies
Logical vs. Physical
Star
Rig
Mesh
Bus
Wireless topologies
Mesh
Ad hoc
Infrastructure
Types
LAN
WLAN
MAN
WAN
CAN
SAN
PAN
Technologies that facilitate the Internet of Things (IoT)
Wireless Technologies and Configurations
Given a scenario, implement the appropriate wireless technologies and configurations.
802.11 standards
Cellular
GSM
TDMA CDMA
Frequencies (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz)
Speed and distance requirements
Channel bandwidth
Channel bonding
MIMO/MU-MIMO
Unidirectional/omnidirectional
Site surveys
Cloud Concepts
Summarise cloud concepts and their purposes-
Types of services
SaaS
PaaS
IaaS
Cloud delivery models
Private
Public
Hybrid
Connectivity methods
Security implications/considerations
Relationship between local and cloud resources
Network Services
Explain the functions of network services.
DNS service
Record types
TXT (SPF, DKIM)
CNAME
Internal vs. external DNS
Third-party/cloud-hosted DNS
Hierarchy
Forward vs. reverse zone
DHCP service
MAC reservations
Pools
IP exclusions
Scope options
Lease time
TTL
DHCP relay/IP helper
NTP
IPAM
Module 2: Infrastructure
Cabling Solution
Given a scenario, deploy the appropriate cabling solution.
Media types (Copper and Fiber)
Plenum vs. PVC
Connector types
Transceivers
Termination points
Copper cable standards
Copper termination standards
Ethernet deployment standards
Networking Devices
Given a scenario, determine the appropriate placement of networking devices on a network and install/configure them.
Firewall
Router
Switch
Hub
Bridge
Modems
Wireless access point
Media converter
Wireless range extender
VoIP endpoint
Advanced Networking Devices
Explain the purposes and use cases for advanced networking devices.
Multilayer switch
Wireless controller
Load balancer
IDS/IPS
Proxy server
VPN concentrator
AAA/RADIUS server
UTM appliance
NGFW/Layer 7 firewall
VoIP PBX
VoIP gateway
Content Filter
Virtualization and Network Storage Technologies
Explain the purpose of network storage technologies mentioned below-
Virtual networking components
Virtual switch
Virtual firewall
Virtual NIC
Virtual router
Hypervisor
Network storage types
NAS
SAN
Connection type
FCoE
Fibre Channel
iSCSI
InfiniBand
Jumbo frame
WAN Technologies
Compare and contrast WAN technologies.
Service type
Transmission mediums
Characteristics of service
Termination
Module 3: Network Operations
Documentation and Diagrams
Given a scenario, use appropriate documentation and diagrams to manage the network.
Diagram symbols
Standard operating procedures/ work instructions
Logical vs. physical diagrams
Rack diagrams
Change management documentation
Wiring and port locations
IDF/MDF documentation
Labelling
Network configuration and performance baselines
Inventory management
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Concepts
Compare and contrast business continuity and disaster recovery concepts.
Availability concepts
Fault tolerance
High availability
Load balancing
NIC teaming
Port Aggregation
Clustering
Power management
Recovery
MTTR
MTBF
SLA requirements
Scanning, Monitoring and Patching
Explain scanning, monitoring and patching processes and summarise their expected outputs.
Processes
Event management
SNMP monitors
Metrics
Error rate
Utilisation
Packet drops
Bandwidth/throughput
Remote Access Methods
Given a scenario, use remote access methods.
VPN
IPSec
SSL/TLS/DTLS
Site-to-site
Client-to-site
RDP
SSH
VNC
Telnet
HTTPS/management URL
Remote file access
FTP/FTPS
SFTP
TFTP
Out-of-band management
Modem
Console router
Policies
Identify policies and best practices.
Privileged user agreement
Password policy
On-boarding/off-boarding procedures
Licensing restrictions
International export controls
Data loss prevention
Remote access policies
Incident response policies
BYOD
AUP
NDA
System life cycle
Asset disposal
Safety procedures and policies
Module 4: Network Security
Physical Security Devices
Summarise the purposes of physical security devices.
Detection
Motion detection
Video surveillance
Asset tracking tags
Tamper detection
Prevention
Badges
Biometrics
Smart cards
Key fob
Locks
Authentication and Access Controls
Explain authentication and access controls.
Authorisation, authentication and accounting
Multifactor authentication
Access control
Basic Wireless Network
Given a scenario, secure a wireless network.
WPA
WPA2
TKIP-RC4
CCMP-AES
Authentication and authorisation
EAPPEAP
EAP-FAST
EAP-TLS
Shared or open
Preshared key
MAC filtering
Geofencing
Networking Attacks
Summarise common networking attacks.
DoS
Social engineering
Insider threat
Logic bomb
Rogue access point
Evil twin
War-driving
Phishing
Ransomware
DNS poisoning
ARP poisoning
Spoofing
Deauthentication
Brute force
VLAN hopping
Man-in-the-middle
Exploits vs. Vulnerabilities
Network Device Hardening
Given a scenario, implement network device hardening.
Changing default credentials
Avoiding common passwords
Upgrading firmware
Patching and updates
File hashing
Disable unnecessary services
Using secure protocols
Generating new keys
Disable unused ports
IP ports
Device ports (physical and virtual)
Mitigation Techniques
Explain mitigation techniques and their purposes.
Signature management
Device hardening
Change native VLAN
Switch port protection
Spanning tree
Flood guard
BPDU guard
Root guard
DHCP snooping
Network segmentation
DMZ
VLAN
Privileged user account
File integrity monitoring
Role separation
Restricting access via ACLs
Honeypot/honeynet
Penetration testing
Module 5: Network Troubleshooting and Tools
Network Troubleshooting
Explain the network troubleshooting methodology.
Identify the problem
Establish a theory of probable cause
Test the theory to determine the cause
Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem
Identify the potential effects
Implement the solution or escalate as necessary
Verify full system functionality
Implement preventive measures
Document findings, actions and outcomes
Tools
Given a scenario, use the appropriate tool.
Hardware tools
Software tools
Packet sniffer
Port scanner
Protocol Analyser
Wi-Fi Analyser
Bandwidth speed tester
Command line ping
Wired Connectivity and Performance Issues
Given a scenario, troubleshoot wired connectivity and performance issues.
Attenuation
Latency
Jitter
Crosstalk
EMI
Open/short
Incorrect pin-out
Incorrect cable type
Bad port
Transceiver mismatch
TX/RX reverse
Duplex/speed mismatch
Damaged cables
Bent pins
Bottlenecks
VLAN mismatch
Network connection LED status indicators
Wireless Connectivity and Performance Issues
Given a scenario, troubleshoot wireless connectivity and performance issues.
Reflection
Refraction
Absorption
Latency
Jitter
Attenuation
Incorrect antenna type
Interference
Incorrect antenna placement
Channel overlap
Overcapacity
Distance limitations
Frequency mismatch
Wrong SSID
Wrong passphrase
Security type mismatch
Power levels
Signal-to-noise ratio
Network Service Issues
Given a scenario, troubleshoot common network service issues.
Names not resolving
Incorrect gateway
Incorrect netmask
Duplicate IP addresses
Duplicate MAC addresses
Expired IP address
Rogue DHCP server
Untrusted SSL certificate
Incorrect time
Exhausted DHCP scope
Blocked TCP/UDP ports
Incorrect host-based firewall settings
Incorrect ACL settings
Unresponsive service
Hardware failure
Wrapping Up!
Though we have listed everything you need to know about the CompTIA N+ certification course, we hope you are now familiar with why CompTIA N+ is essential for aspiring IT professionals.
Feel free to write to us in case of any queries. We will be happy to assist you.
HAPPY LEARNING!
The founder of Network Kings, is a renowned Network Engineer with over 12 years of experience at top IT companies like TCS, Aricent, Apple, and Juniper Networks. Starting his journey through a YouTube channel in 2013, he has inspired thousands of students worldwide to build successful careers in networking and IT. His passion for teaching and simplifying complex technologies makes him one of the most admired mentors in the industry.
