CompTIA Network + Certification

Start

CompTIA Network + , I have been walking to this certification for a long time. The fact is that I am the so-called “process IB” ( at one time raised CISM ), and for normal progress I realized that there was no network at all.

It was necessary to put together all that I know through networks, to see further development. Chose between CCNA and CompTIA Net +. In the end, he leaned toward the vendor-independent CompTIA.

There is a short story about how you prepared, what materials you used and how you took the exam. Suddenly it will be useful to someone)

Pre-preparation

Everything must begin with the purchase of the exam itself. Why at first, and not before the exam itself? And not to filonit. The exam voucher was valid only for a year, so there are immediately clear deadlines for passing the exam)
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I recommend to buy the Deluxe package from CompTIA , which contains:

• proper voucher for the exam CompTIA Network + Exam Voucher
• CertMaster - training program containing the base of questions. I think Pts. useful thing
• and Exam Voucher Retake is a spare ticket, in case you suddenly fail the first time. I found this useful: - /

$ 380 is a normal price, saving almost 50% if bought separately.

It was necessary to buy more preparatory materials - see below.

Training

As the main book, I chose Mike Meyer's CompTIA Network + All-In-One Exam (gave about $ 40 ). In general, it justified itself. In addition to the necessary information on the exam itself, there are a lot of simply useful things describing the real world. Mike has a good sense of humor, he often scoffed at the requirements of the exam, but mostly he tried to just build a complete picture - how to create an effective network from scratch, how to protect it, exploit it, and so on.

Well, since I bought a Meyer book, it is logical to buy his video courses - you can buy it at a discount for $ 10 on Udemy - CompTIA Network + Cert .; N10-006. The Total Cours e. 150 lessons, about 15 hours of pure time.

The rest of the materials were free.

How to build a learning process:

1. You read the chapter from the book, notes, analysis of questions, everything is standard. As already noted, the book is very notable)
2. Browse the relevant chapter from the online course. Since the author is one, the course and the book are synchronized. However, by the end of training I scored on these lessons, p.ch. although they were very fun, simple, but clearly did not cover the questions from the exam. Booklet covers, but these courses are not. Therefore, in 100 lessons (out of 150) I scored. I decided to watch it somehow at leisure, in the background.
3. A separate stream launched the study of material from Ineta. In particular:
   
   • Networks for the smallest - awesome series of articles. Unfortunately, I began to cheerfully, but I could not finish it - there are a lot of details, but in the end there was not enough time even for a book.
   • I tried the basics of computer networks . I did not like it, too student-like, perhaps.
4. Also, I started watching a video course from Pr. Messer - free cool video course. I looked through the third, and then switched to the video Meyer. What later regretted. Vidyuhi from prof. Messer - more practical. Definitely recommend.
5. There is also a great thing about Pr.Messer - Professor Messer's CompTIA N10-006 Network + Course Notes. This is a couple of dozen pages of concentrated text, graphics, charts, tables, and so on - I constantly reprimanded this listing, the harmonious thing turned out to be a professor. It seems to be paid, but I somehow found it for the first time in the internet, and then I just found out that it costs money: - /
6. Almost the last is CertMaster - a special prog from CompTIA - emulation of exam questions. The thing is absolutely necessary. It is included in the package that I originally bought. Tried to click questions parallel with reading a book. But then it seemed more convenient to press the book completely, and only then switch to the questions. In the last couple of months, I have clicked absolutely all the questions (it’s convenient there as well - that an extended explanation is given if you answer incorrectly).
7. Well and the last, from known Meyer there are one more as though courses on Udemy - CompTIA Network + Cert. (N10-006): Practice Tests . This is not a video, but a database of questions. This thing turned out to be more useful (than video courses). Contains 3 separate exams (set of questions). Their quality is subjectively worse than in CertMaster, but they are cheap - for the same $ 10 bought.

And so he studied. And on vacation with me I dragged this 700 page book, and to work constantly with a bag of materials. But, as usual, I really took my mind only 2 months before the due date. There was nowhere to retreat - the voucher was running out of time: - /

Exam

There are several centers in Minsk where you can take Network +. I handed over to Softline.

The procedure is usual - you come in about 15 minutes, you are drawn up, clicked on a photo (and then with a convulsive mug you find yourself on the final sheet, which is issued after the exam).

In the room there is nothing but you, the computer, and there is no camera. Phone / clock and so on - you hand over to the entrance to the room. There is a plastic card on the table - you can write on it with a special marker (which is absolutely necessary - all calculations, OSI layouts, TIA 658 pinouts, calculation of subnet masks, etc. - you need to write everything somewhere!)

So, in the test there are about 90 questions, about 2 hours of time (a little more than for English-speaking ones - almost the language is not native :). Of these, the first 3-4 are practical simulations. I'm not sure that I can describe them by CompTIA policies. Let me just say that it was necessary to break the issued network into subnetworks and solve issues related to this matter. We also checked the UTP pinout, the connections between the switches, and others. The remaining questions are standard, "without pictures."

Quite a lot of tricky questions. The tactics are simple - simplify and choose the most believable answer)
There were questions that I did not see at all during training. Just guessed and moved on. In general, the feeling of the questions was harmonious - it can be seen that many people worked on them.

I did not pass the first exam - 700 of the required 720. In general, the range of points for this exam is from 100 to 900.

A week later (permanent study) went and this time passed:


The photo was taken before the exam, probably immediately obvious)

It should be noted that the questions were repeated somewhere at 20-30%, mostly all new ones were. But the simulations are exactly the same.

What's next

And now about the sad.

What did this certification give me? Do I now understand in practice all the nuances of building modern networks?

Let's be honest, no more than yes. I got general knowledge about networks, learned how basic protocols work, learned how to work with masks, break into sub-networks, and so on.

Since I don’t have the admin background, my main problem was (and still is) the impossibility of really trying everything out in practice. I tried to find a certain mentor / teacher with whom I could discuss practical questions. But unfortunately, it did not work out. Whether all admins are asocial by nature, I haven’t come out with my face. Well, most likely - just did not work out.

Thus, in the short run - the whole theory, the basic understanding - I pulled into myself. But the points of attachment to reality - unfortunately not very much.

Therefore, in the future I have already signed up for “live” courses on CCNA. There will certainly be Cisco focus, but I need it - on the current work, the main stack is Cisco. On live courses there will be living people with whom it will be possible to raise something that is not written in the books. A good coach will, judging by the reviews. Living lab with iron (!) So, despite the fact that CCNA will probably be basically a repetition of CompTIA Net +, I personally hope to gain, and not lose.

God willing, throughout the year I will do CCNA - already with the best practical understanding.

The next step is likely to be either CompTIA Security + or CCNA Security.

Good luck everyone!