Introduction:
If you’re like most of us in the networking com munity, you probably have one or more
network certifications. If that’s you, you’re very wise in choosing to go for a Network+ cer-
tification to proudly add to your repertoire, because that achievement will make you all the
more valuable as an employee. And in these challenging economic times, keeping ahead of
the competition—even standing out among your present colleagues—could make a big dif-
ference in whether you gain a promotion or possibly keep your job instead of being the one
who gets laid off! Or maybe this is your first attempt at certification because you’ve decided
to venture into a new career in information technology (IT). You’ve realized that getting into
the IT sector is a good way to go because as the Information Age marches on, the demand
for knowledgeable professionals in this dynamic field will only be intensify dramatically.
Either way, certification is one of the best things you can do for your career if you are work-
ing in, or want to break into, the networking profession, because it proves that you know what
you’re talking about regarding the subjects you’re certified in. It also powerfully endorses you
as a professional in a way that’s very similar to a physician being “board certified” in a certain
area of expertise.
In this book, you’ll find out what the N etwork+ exam is all about, because each
chapter covers a part of the exam. I’ve included some great review questions at the end
of each chapter to help crystallize the information you learned and solidly prepare you to
ace the exam.
A really cool thing about working in IT is that it’s constantly evolving so there are
always new things to learn and fresh challenges to master. Once you obtain your Network+
certification and discover that you’re interested in taking it further by getting into more
complex networking (and make more money), the Cisco C CNA certification is definitelyyour next step; you can get the skinny on that and even more in-depth certifications
What Is the Network+ Certification?
Network+ is a certification developed
Way back in 1995, members of the organization got together to develop a new certification
that tests skills for IT. To ensure industry-wide support, it was sponsored by many past andpresent IT industry leaders like these
Compaq Computers
Digital Equipment Corporation (a part of Compaq)
IBM
Lotus
Microsoft
Novell
TSS
U.S. Robotics
US West
Wave Technologies
The Network+ exam was designed to test the skills of network technicians with 18 to 24
months of experience in the field. It tests areas of networking technologies such as the defini-
tion of a protocol, the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model and its layers, and the con-
cepts of network design and implementation—the minimum knowledge required for workingon a network and some integral prerequisites for network design and implementation.
Why Become Network+ Certified?
The Network+ certification is a relatively new certification, and it’s the next certification in
the lineup of CompTIA certifications beginning with the A+ certification. Because CompTIA
is a well-respected developer of vendor-neutral industry certifications, becoming Network+
certified proves you’re competent in the specific areas tested by Network+.
Three major benefits are associated with becoming Network+ certified:
Proof of professional achievement
Opportunity for advancement
Fulfillment of training requirements
Proof of Professional Achievement
Networking professionals are pretty competitive when it comes to collecting more certifica-
tions than their peers. And because the Network+ certification broadly covers the entire
field of networking, technicians want this certification a lot more than having just Microsoft
certs—Net+ is a lot more prestigious and valuable. Because it’s rare to gain something that’s
worth a lot with little effort, I’ll be honest—preparing for the Network+ exam isn’t exactly a
lazy day at the beach. (However, beaches do happen to be really high on my personal list of
great places to study!) And people in IT know that it isn’t all that easy to pass the Net+ exam,
so they’ll definitely respect you more and know that you’ve achieved a certain level of expertise
about vendor-independent networking-related subjects.
Opportunity for Advancement
We all like to get ahead in our careers—advancement results in more responsibility andprestige, and it usually means a fatter paycheck, greater opportunities, and added options
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