COMPTIA NETWORK+ (N10-008)
1.0 Networking Fundamentals
2.0 Network Implementations
3.0 Network Operations
4.0 Network Security
5.0 Network Troubleshooting
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CompTIA Network+ Certification Exam Objectives
EXAM NUMBER: N10-008
About the Exam
Candidates are encouraged to use this document to help prepare for the CompTIA Network+ (N10-008) certification exam. The CompTIA Network+ certification exam will verify the successful candidate has the knowledge and skills required to:
• Establish network connectivity by deploying wired and wireless devices
• Understand and maintain network documentation
• Understand the purpose of network services
• Understand basic data center, cloud, and virtual networking concepts
• Monitor network activity, identifying performance and availability issues
• Implement network hardening techniques
• Manage, configure, and troubleshoot network infrastructure
This is equivalent to 9–12 months of hands-on experience working in a junior network administrator/ network support technician job role. These content examples are meant to clarify the test objectives and should not be construed as a comprehensive listing of all the content of this examination.
EXAM ACCREDITATION
The CompTIA Network+ (N10-008) exam is accredited by ANSI to show compliance with the
ISO 17024 standard and, as such, undergoes regular reviews and updates to the exam objectives.
EXAM DEVELOPMENT
CompTIA exams result from subject matter expert workshops and industry-wide survey results regarding the skills and knowledge required of an entry-level IT professional.
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PLEASE NOTE
The lists of examples provided in bulleted format are not exhaustive lists. Other examples of technologies, processes, or tasks pertaining to each objective may also be included on the exam although not listed or covered in this objectives document. CompTIA is constantly reviewing the content of our exams and updating test questions to be sure our exams are current, and the security of the questions is protected. When necessary, we will publish updated exams based on existing exam objectives. Please know that all related exam preparation materials will still be valid.
TEST DETAILS
Required exam N10-008 Number of questions Maximum of 90
Types of questions Multiple-choice and performance-based Length of test 90 minutes
Recommended experience • CompTIA A+ certified, or equivalent
• Minimum of 9–12 months of hands-on experience working in a junior network administrator/ network support technician job role
Passing score 720 (on a scale of 100-900)
EXAM OBJECTIVES (DOMAINS)
The table below lists the domains measured by this examination and the extent to which they are represented.
DOMAIN
1.0 Networking Fundamentals PERCENTAGE OF EXAMINATION
24%
2.0 Network Implementations 19%
3.0 Network Operations 16%
4.0 Network Security 19%
5.0 Network Troubleshooting 22%
Total 100%
1.0 Networking Fundamentals
Compare and contrast the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model layers and encapsulation concepts.
• OSI model
- Layer 1 – Physical
- Layer 2 – Datalink
- Layer 3 – Network
- Layer 4 – Transport
- Layer 5 – Session
- Layer 6 – Presentation
- Layer 7 – Application
• Data encapsulation and decapsulation within the OSI model context
- Ethernet header
- Internet Protocol (IP) header
- Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/ User Datagram Protocol (UDP) headers
- TCP flags
- Payload
- Maximum transmission unit (MTU)
Explain the characteristics of network topologies and network types.
• Mesh
• Star/hub-and-spoke
• Bus
• Ring
• Hybrid
• Network types and characteristics
- Peer-to-peer
- Client-server
- Local area network (LAN)
- Metropolitan area network (MAN)
- Wide area network (WAN)
- Wireless local area network (WLAN)
- Personal area network (PAN)
- Campus area network (CAN)
- Storage area network (SAN)
- Software-defined wide area network (SDWAN)
- Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)
- Multipoint generic routing encapsulation (mGRE)
• Service-related entry point
- Demarcation point
- Smartjack
• Virtual network concepts
- vSwitch
- Virtual network interface card (vNIC)
- Network function virtualization (NFV)
- Hypervisor
• Provider links
- Satellite
- Digital subscriber line (DSL)
- Cable
- Leased line
- Metro-optical
1.0 Networking Fundamentals
Summarize the types of cables and connectors and explain which is the appropriate type for a solution.
• Copper
- Twisted pair
- Cat 5
- Cat 5e
- Cat 6
- Cat 6a
- Cat 7
- Cat 8
- Coaxial/RG-6
- Twinaxial
- Termination standards
- TIA/EIA-568A
- TIA/EIA-568B
• Fiber
- Single-mode
- Multimode
• Connector types
- Local connector (LC), straight tip (ST), subscriber connector (SC), mechanical transfer (MT), registered jack (RJ)
- Angled physical contact (APC)
- Ultra-physical contact (UPC)
- RJ11
- RJ45
- F-type connector
- Transceivers/media converters
- Transceiver type
- Small form-factor pluggable (SFP)
- Enhanced form-factor pluggable (SFP+)
- Quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP)
- Enhanced quad small
form-factor pluggable (QSFP+)
• Cable management
- Patch panel/patch bay
- Fiber distribution panel
- Punchdown block
- 66
- 110
- Krone
- Bix
• Ethernet standards
- Copper
- 10BASE-T
- 100BASE-TX
- 1000BASE-T
- 10GBASE-T
- 40GBASE-T
- Fiber
- 100BASE-FX
- 100BASE-SX
- 1000BASE-SX
- 1000BASE-LX
- 10GBASE-SR
- 10GBASE-LR
- Coarse wavelength
division multiplexing (CWDM)
- Dense wavelength
division multiplexing (DWDM)
- Bidirectional wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)
Given a scenario, configure a subnet and use appropriate IP addressing schemes.
• Public vs. private
- RFC1918
- Network address translation (NAT)
- Port address translation (PAT)
• IPv4 vs. IPv6
- Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
- Extended unique identifier (EUI-64)
- Multicast
- Unicast
- Anycast
- Broadcast
- Link local
- Loopback
- Default gateway
• IPv4 subnetting
- Classless (variable-length subnet mask)
- Classful
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation
• IPv6 concepts
- Tunneling
- Dual stack
- Shorthand notation
- Router advertisement
- Stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC)
• Virtual IP (VIP)
• Subinterfaces
1.0 Networking Fundamentals
Explain common ports and protocols, their application, and encrypted alternatives.
Protocols Ports
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) 20/21
• Secure Shell (SSH) 22
• Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) 22
• Telnet 23
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) 25
• Domain Name System (DNS) 53
• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) 67/68
• Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) 69
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 80
• Post Office Protocol v3 (POP3) 110
• Network Time Protocol (NTP) 123
• Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) 143
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) 161/162
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) 389
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) [Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)] 443
• HTTPS [Transport Layer Security (TLS)] 443
• Server Message Block (SMB) 445
• Syslog 514
• SMTP TLS 587
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (over SSL) (LDAPS) 636
• IMAP over SSL 993
• POP3 over SSL 995
• Structured Query Language (SQL) Server 1433
• SQLnet 1521
• MySQL 3306
• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) 3389
• Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) 5060/5061
• IP protocol types
- Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
- TCP
- UDP
- Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)
- Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)
- Authentication Header (AH)/Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)
• Connectionless vs. connection-oriented
1.0 Networking Fundamentals
Explain the use and purpose of network services.
• DHCP
- Scope
- Exclusion ranges
- Reservation
- Dynamic assignment
- Static assignment
- Lease time
- Scope options
- Available leases
- DHCP relay
- IP helper/UDP forwarding
• DNS
- Record types
- Address (A vs. AAAA)
- Canonical name (CNAME)
- Mail exchange (MX)
- Start of authority (SOA)
- Pointer (PTR)
- Text (TXT)
- Service (SRV)
- Name server (NS)
- Global hierarchy
- Root DNS servers
- Internal vs. external
- Zone transfers
- Authoritative name servers
- Time to live (TTL)
- DNS caching
- Reverse DNS/reverse lookup/forward lookup
- Recursive lookup/iterative lookup
• NTP
- Stratum
- Clients
- Servers
Explain basic corporate and datacenter network architecture.
• Three-tiered
- Core
- Distribution/aggregation layer
- Access/edge
• Software-defined networking
- Application layer
- Control layer
- Infrastructure layer
- Management plane
• Spine and leaf
- Software-defined network
- Top-of-rack switching
- Backbone
• Traffic flows
- North-South
- East-West
• Branch office vs. on-premises datacenter vs. colocation
• Storage area networks
- Connection types
- Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
- Fibre Channel
- Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI)
Summarize cloud concepts and connectivity options.
• Deployment models
- Public
- Private
- Hybrid
- Community
• Service models
- Software as a service (SaaS)
- Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
- Platform as a service (PaaS)
- Desktop as a service (DaaS)
• Infrastructure as code
- Automation/orchestration
• Connectivity options
- Virtual private network (VPN)
- Private-direct connection to cloud provider
• Multitenancy
• Elasticity
• Scalability
• Security implications
2.0 Network Implementations
Compare and contrast various devices, their features, and their appropriate placement on the network.
• Networking devices
- Layer 2 switch
- Layer 3 capable switch
- Router
- Hub
- Access point
- Bridge
- Wireless LAN controller
- Load balancer
- Proxy server
- Cable modem
- DSL modem
- Repeater
- Voice gateway
- Media converter
- Intrusion prevention system (IPS)/intrusion detection system (IDS) device
- Firewall
- VPN headend
• Networked devices
- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone
- Printer
- Physical access control devices
- Cameras
- Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensors
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Refrigerator
- Smart speakers
- Smart thermostats
- Smart doorbells
- Industrial control systems/ supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
Compare and contrast routing technologies and bandwidth management concepts.
• Routing
- Dynamic routing
- Protocols [Routing Internet Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced
Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Border Gateway
Protocol (BGP)]
- Link state vs. distance vector vs. hybrid
- Static routing
- Default route
- Administrative distance
- Exterior vs. interior
- Time to live
• Bandwidth management
- Traffic shaping
- Quality of service (QoS)
2.0 Network Implementations
Given a scenario, configure and deploy common Ethernet switching features.
- Data virtual local area network (VLAN)
- Voice VLAN
- Port configurations
- Port tagging/802.1Q
- Port aggregation
- Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)
- Duplex
- Speed
- Flow control
- Port mirroring
- Port security
- Jumbo frames
- Auto-medium-dependent interface crossover (MDI-X)
- Media access control (MAC) address tables
- Power over Ethernet (PoE)/ Power over Ethernet plus (PoE+)
- Spanning Tree Protocol
- Carrier-sense multiple access
with collision detection (CSMA/CD)
• Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
• Neighbor Discovery Protocol
Given a scenario, install and configure the appropriate wireless standards and technologies.
• 802.11 standards
- a
- b
- g
- n (WiFi 4)
- ac (WiFi 5)
- ax (WiFi 6)
• Frequencies and range
- 2.4GHz
- 5GHz
• Channels
- Regulatory impacts
• Channel bonding
• Service set identifier (SSID)
- Basic service set
- Extended service set
- Independent basic service set (Ad-hoc)
- Roaming
• Antenna types
- Omni
- Directional
• Encryption standards
- WiFi Protected Access (WPA)/ WPA2 Personal [Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)/
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)]
- WPA/WPA2 Enterprise (AES/TKIP)
• Cellular technologies
- Code-division multiple access (CDMA)
- Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
- Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
- 3G, 4G, 5G
• Multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO)
3.0 Network Operations
Given a scenario, use the appropriate statistics and sensors to ensure network availability.
• Performance metrics/sensors
- Device/chassis
- Temperature
- Central processing unit (CPU) usage
- Memory
- Network metrics
- Bandwidth
- Latency
- Jitter
• SNMP
- Traps
- Object identifiers (OIDs)
- Management information bases (MIBs)
• Network device logs
- Log reviews
- Traffic logs
- Audit logs
- Syslog
- Logging levels/severity levels
• Interface statistics/status
- Link state (up/down)
- Speed/duplex
- Send/receive traffic
- Cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs)
- Protocol packet and byte counts
• Interface errors or alerts
- CRC errors
- Giants
- Runts
- Encapsulation errors
• Environmental factors and sensors
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Electrical
- Flooding
• Baselines
• NetFlow data
• Uptime/downtime
Explain the purpose of organizational documents and policies.
• Plans and procedures
- Change management
- Incident response plan
- Disaster recovery plan
- Business continuity plan
- System life cycle
- Standard operating procedures
• Hardening and security policies
- Password policy
- Acceptable use policy
- Bring your own device (BYOD) policy
- Remote access policy
- Onboarding and offboarding policy
- Security policy
- Data loss prevention
• Common documentation
- Physical network diagram
- Floor plan
- Rack diagram
- Intermediate distribution frame (IDF)/main distribution frame (MDF) documentation
- Logical network diagram
- Wiring diagram
- Site survey report
- Audit and assessment report
- Baseline configurations
• Common agreements
- Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
- Service-level agreement (SLA)
- Memorandum of understanding (MOU)
3.0 Network Operations
Explain high availability and disaster recovery concepts and summarize which is the best solution.
• Load balancing
• Multipathing
• Network interface card (NIC) teaming
• Redundant hardware/clusters
- Switches
- Routers
- Firewalls
• Facilities and infrastructure support
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
- Power distribution units (PDUs)
- Generator
- HVAC
- Fire suppression
• Redundancy and high availability (HA) concepts
- Cold site
- Warm site
- Hot site
- Cloud site
- Active-active vs. active-passive
- Multiple Internet service providers (ISPs)/diverse paths
- Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP)/First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP)
- Mean time to repair (MTTR)
- Mean time between failure (MTBF)
- Recovery time objective (RTO)
- Recovery point objective (RPO)
• Network device backup/restore
- State
- Configuration
Explain common security concepts.
• Confidentiality, integrity, availability (CIA)
• Threats
- Internal
- External
• Vulnerabilities
- Common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE)
- Zero-day
• Exploits
• Least privilege
• Role-based access
• Zero Trust
• Defense in depth
- Network segmentation enforcement
- Screened subnet [previously known as demilitarized zone (DMZ)]
- Separation of duties
- Network access control
- Honeypot
• Authentication methods
- Multifactor
- Terminal Access Controller Access- Control System Plus (TACACS+)
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Remote Authentication Dial- in User Service (RADIUS)
- LDAP
- Kerberos
- Local authentication
- 802.1X
- Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
• Risk Management
- Security risk assessments
- Threat assessment
- Vulnerability assessment
- Penetration testing
- Posture assessment
- Business risk assessments
- Process assessment
- Vendor assessment
• Security information and event management (SIEM)
Compare and contrast common types of attacks.
• Technology-based
- Denial-of-service (DoS)/
distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)
- Botnet/command and control
- On-path attack (previously known as man-in-the-middle attack)
- DNS poisoning
- VLAN hopping
- ARP spoofing
- Rogue DHCP
- Rogue access point (AP)
- Evil twin
- Ransomware
- Password attacks
- Brute-force
- Dictionary
- MAC spoofing
- IP spoofing
- Deauthentication
- Malware
• Human and environmental
- Social engineering
- Phishing
- Tailgating
- Piggybacking
- Shoulder surfing
4.0 Network Security
Given a scenario, apply network hardening techniques.
• Best practices
- Secure SNMP
- Router Advertisement (RA) Guard
- Port security
- Dynamic ARP inspection
- Control plane policing
- Private VLANs
- Disable unneeded switchports
- Disable unneeded network services
- Change default passwords
- Password complexity/length
- Enable DHCP snooping
- Change default VLAN
- Patch and firmware management
- Access control list
- Role-based access
- Firewall rules
- Explicit deny
- Implicit deny
• Wireless security
- MAC filtering
- Antenna placement
- Power levels
- Wireless client isolation
- Guest network isolation
- Preshared keys (PSKs)
- EAP
- Geofencing
- Captive portal
• IoT access considerations
Compare and contrast remote access methods and security implications.
• Site-to-site VPN
• Client-to-site VPN
- Clientless VPN
- Split tunnel vs. full tunnel
• Remote desktop connection
• Remote desktop gateway
• SSH
• Virtual network computing (VNC)
• Virtual desktop
• Authentication and authorization considerations
• In-band vs. out-of-band management
Explain the importance of physical security.
• Detection methods
- Camera
- Motion detection
- Asset tags
- Tamper detection
• Prevention methods
- Employee training
- Access control hardware
- Badge readers
- Biometrics
- Locking racks
- Locking cabinets
- Access control vestibule (previously known as a mantrap)
- Smart lockers
• Asset disposal
- Factory reset/wipe configuration
- Sanitize devices for disposal
5.0 Network Troubleshooting
Explain the network troubleshooting methodology.
• Identify the problem
- Gather information
- Question users
- Identify symptoms
- Determine if anything has changed
- Duplicate the problem, if possible
- Approach multiple problems individually
• Establish a theory of probable cause
- Question the obvious
- Consider multiple approaches
- Top-to-bottom/
bottom-to-top OSI model
- Divide and conquer
• Test the theory to determine the cause
- If the theory is confirmed, determine the next steps to resolve the problem
- If the theory is not confirmed, reestablish a new theory or escalate
• Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and identify potential effects
• Implement the solution or escalate as necessary
• Verify full system functionality and, if applicable, implement preventive measures
• Document findings, actions, outcomes, and lessons learned
Given a scenario, troubleshoot common cable connectivity issues and select the appropriate tools.
• Specifications and limitations
- Throughput
- Speed
- Distance
• Cable considerations
- Shielded and unshielded
- Plenum and riser-rated
• Cable application
- Rollover cable/console cable
- Crossover cable
- Power over Ethernet
• Common issues
- Attenuation
- Interference
- Decibel (dB) loss
- Incorrect pinout
- Bad ports
- Open/short
- Light-emitting diode (LED) status indicators
- Incorrect transceivers
- Duplexing issues
- Transmit and receive (TX/RX) reversed
- Dirty optical cables
• Common tools
- Cable crimper
- Punchdown tool
- Tone generator
- Loopback adapter
- Optical time-domain
reflectometer (OTDR)
- Multimeter
- Cable tester
- Wire map
- Tap
- Fusion splicers
- Spectrum analyzers
- Snips/cutters
- Cable stripper
- Fiber light meter
5.0 Network Troubleshooting
Given a scenario, use the appropriate network software tools and commands.
• Software tools
- WiFi analyzer
- Protocol analyzer/packet capture
- Bandwidth speed tester
- Port scanner
- iperf
- NetFlow analyzers
- Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server
- Terminal emulator
- IP scanner
• Command line tool
- ping
- ipconfig/ifconfig/ip
- nslookup/dig
- traceroute/tracert
- arp
- netstat
- hostname
- route
- telnet
- tcpdump
- nmap
• Basic network platform commands
- show interface
- show config
- show route
Given a scenario, troubleshoot common wireless connectivity issues.
• Specifications and limitations
- Throughput
- Speed
- Distance
- Received signal strength indication (RSSI) signal strength
- Effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP)/power settings
• Considerations
- Antennas
- Placement
- Type
- Polarization
- Channel utilization
- AP association time
- Site survey
• Common issues
- Interference
- Channel overlap
- Antenna cable attenuation/signal loss
- RF attenuation/signal loss
- Wrong SSID
- Incorrect passphrase
- Encryption protocol mismatch
- Insufficient wireless coverage
- Captive portal issues
- Client disassociation issues
Given a scenario, troubleshoot general networking issues.
• Considerations
- Device configuration review
- Routing tables
- Interface status
- VLAN assignment
- Network performance baselines
• Common issues
- Collisions
- Broadcast storm
- Duplicate MAC address
- Duplicate IP address
- Multicast flooding
- Asymmetrical routing
- Switching loops
- Routing loops
- Rogue DHCP server
- DHCP scope exhaustion
- IP setting issues
- Incorrect gateway
- Incorrect subnet mask
- Incorrect IP address
- Incorrect DNS
- Missing route
- Low optical link budget
- Certificate issues
- Hardware failure
- Host-based/network- based firewall settings
- Blocked services, ports, or addresses
- Incorrect VLAN
- DNS issues
- NTP issues
- BYOD challenges
- Licensed feature issues
- Network performance issues
Network+ (N10-008) Acronym List
The following is a list of acronyms that appear on the CompTIA Network+ exam. Candidates are encouraged to review the complete list and attain a working knowledge of all listed acronyms as
part of a comprehensive exam preparation program.
ACRONYM SPELLED OUT ACRONYM SPELLED OUT
AAAA Authentication, Authorization, EIRP Effective Isotropic Radiated Power
Accounting, Auditing ESP Encapsulating Security Payload
ACL Access Control List EUI Extended Unique Identifier
AES Advanced Encryption Standard FCoE Fibre Channel over Ethernet
AH Authentication Header FHRP First Hop Redundancy Protocol
AP Access Point FTP File Transfer Protocol
APC Angled Physical Contact GBIC Gigabit Interface Converter
APIPA Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing GRE Generic Routing Encapsulation
ARP Address Resolution Protocol GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
AUP Acceptable Use Policy HA High Availability
BGP Border Gateway Protocol HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface
BNC British Naval Connector/Bayonet Neill-Concelman HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
BYOD Bring Your Own Device HTTPS Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
CAM Content Addressable Memory (table) HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
CAN Campus Area Network IaaS Infrastructure as a Service
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol
CIA Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability ICS Industrial Control System
CIDR Classless Inter-Domain Routing IDF Intermediate Distribution Frame
CLI Command-Line Interface IDS Intrusion Detection System
CNAME Canonical Name IGMP Internet Group Management Protocol
CPU Central Processing Unit IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol
CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check IoT Internet of Things
CSMA/CA Carrier-Sense Multiple IP Internet Protocol
Access with Collision Avoidance IPS Intrusion Prevention System
CSMA/CD Carrier-Sense Multiple Access IPSec Internet Protocol Security
with Collision Detection IPv4 Internet Protocol version 4
CSU Channel Service Unit IPv6 Internet Protocol version 6
CVE Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures iSCSI Internet Small Computer Systems Interface
CWDM Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing ISP Internet Service Provider
DaaS Desktop as a Service LACP Link Aggregation Control Protocol
dB Decibel LAN Local Area Network
DDoS Distributed Denial-of-Service LC Local Connector
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol LDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
DLP Data Loss Prevention LDAPS Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (over SSL)
DNS Domain Name System LED Light-Emitting Diode
DoS Denial-of-Service LTE Long-Term Evolution
DSL Digital Subscriber Line MAC Media Access Control/Medium Access Control
DSU Data Service Unit MAN Metropolitan Area Network
DWDM Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing MDF Main Distribution Frame
EAP Extensible Authentication Protocol MDIX Medium Dependent Interface Crossover
EIA Electronic Industries Association mGRE Multipoint Generic Routing Encapsulation
EIGRP Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol MIB Management Information Base
ACRONYM SPELLED OUT ACRONYM SPELLED OUT
MIMO Multiple Input, Multiple Output SFP Small Form-factor Pluggable
MU-MIMO Multiuser - Multiple Input, Multiple Output SFTP Secure File Transfer Protocol
MOU Memorandum of Understanding SIEM Security Information and Event Management
MPLS Multiprotocol Label Switching SIP Session Initiation Protocol
MTBF Mean Time Between Failure SLA Service Level Agreement
MT-RJ Mechanical Transfer - Registered Jack SLAAC Stateless Address Auto-Configuration
MTTR Mean Time to Repair SMB Server Message Block
MTU Maximum Transmission Unit SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
MX Mail Exchange SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
NAC Network Access Control SOA Start of Authority
NAS Network Attached Storage SOHO Small Office Home Office
NAT Network Address Translation SQL Structured Query Language
NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement SRV Service Record
NFV Network Function Virtualization SSD Solid-State Drive
NGFW Next-Generation Firewall SSH Secure Shell
NIC Network Interface Card SSID Service Set Identifier
NS Name Server SSL Secure Sockets Layer
NTP Network Time Protocol SSO Single Sign-On
OID Object Identifier ST Straight Tip or Snap Twist
OSI Open Systems Interconnection STP Spanning Tree Protocol
OSPF Open Shortest Path First SYSLOG System Log
OTDR Optical Time Domain Reflectometer TACACS+ Terminal Access Controller Access
PaaS Platform as a Service Control System Plus
PAN Personal Area Network TCP Transmission Control Protocol
PAT Port Address Translation TFTP Trivial File Transfer Protocol
PDU Power Distribution Unit TIA/EIA Telecommunications Industry
PoE Power over Ethernet Association/Electronic Industries Alliance
POP3 Post Office Protocol version 3 TKIP Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
PSK Pre-Shared Key TLS Transport Layer Security
PTR Pointer Record TTL Time to Live
QoS Quality of Service TX/RX Transmit and Receive
QSFP Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable UDP User Datagram Protocol
RA Router Advertisements UPC Ultra-Physical Contact
RADIUS Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply
RAID Redundant Array of Inexpensive URL Uniform Resource Locator
(or Independent) Disks USB Universal Serial Bus
RDP Remote Desktop Protocol UTP Unshielded Twister Pair
RF Radio Frequency VIP Virtual IP
RFC Request for Comment VLAN Virtual Local Area Network
RG Radio Guide VM Virtual Machine
RIP Routing Internet Protocol VNC Virtual Network Computing
RJ Registered Jack vNIC virtual Network Interface Card
RPO Recovery Point Objective VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol
RSSI Received Signal Strength Indication VPN Virtual Private Network
RTO Recovery Time Objective VRRP Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol
RTSP Real Time Streaming Protocol WAN Wide Area Network
SaaS Software as a Service WAP Wireless Access Point
SAN Storage Area Network WDM Wavelength Division Multiplexing
SC Standard Connector/Subscriber Connector WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition WPA WiFi Protected Access
SDN Software-Defined Network
SDWAN Software-Defined WAN
Network+ Proposed Hardware and Software List
CompTIA has included this sample list of hardware and software to assist candidates as they prepare for the Network+ exam. This list may also be helpful for training companies that wish to create a lab component for their training offering.
The bulleted lists below each topic are sample lists and are not exhaustive.
EQUIPMENT
• Optical and copper patch panels
• Punchdown blocks
• Layer 2 switch
• Layer 3 switch
• PoE switch
• Router
• Firewall
• VPN headend
• Wireless access point
• Basic laptops that support virtualization
• Tablet/cell phone
• Media converters
• VoIP system (including a phone)
SPARE HARDWARE
• NICs
• Power supplies
• GBICs
• SFPs
• Managed switch
• Wireless access point
• UPS
• PoE injector
SPARE PARTS
• Patch cables
• RJ11 connectors
• RJ45 connectors, modular jacks
• Unshielded twisted pair cable spool
• Coaxial cable spool
• F connectors
• Fiber connectors
• Antennas
• Bluetooth/wireless adapters
• Console cables (RS-232 to USB serial adapter)
TOOLS
• Telco/network crimper
• Cable tester
• Punchdown tool
• Cable stripper
• Coaxial crimper
• Wire cutter
• Tone generator
• Fiber termination kit
• Optical power meter
SOFTWARE
• Protocol analyzer/packet capture
• Terminal emulation software
• Linux OS/Windows OS
• Software firewall
• Software IDS/IPS
• Network mapper
• Hypervisor software
• Virtual network environment
• WiFi analyzer
• Spectrum analyzer
• Network monitoring tools
• DHCP service
• DNS service
• NetFlow analyzer
• TFTP server
• Firmware backups for upgrades
OTHER
• Sample network documentation
• Sample logs
• Defective cables
• Cloud network diagrams
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