Exam Objectives

In this section, we are going to look at the objectives that the Network+ exam is designed to test. These objectives were developed by a group of networking- industry professionals through the use of an industry-wide job task analysis. CompTIA asked groups of IT professionals to fill out a survey rating the skills they felt were important in their job. The results were grouped into objectives for the exam. Each of these objectives is divided into four domains. The following table indicates the extent to which they are represented in the actual examination.

Network+ Certification Domain Areas	% of Examination
1.0 Media & Topologies	20%
2.0 Protocols & Standards	25%
3.0 Network Implementation	23%
4.0 Network Support	32%
Total	100%

This section includes the outline of the exam objectives for the Network+ exam and the weighting of each objective category.

Warning 

The objectives and weighting percentages given in this section can change at any time. Check CompTIA’s website at www.comptia.org for a list of the most current objectives.

Domain 1.0 Media and Topologies (20%)

The objectives for this domain are as follows:

1.1 Recognize the following logical or physical network topologies given a schematic diagram or description (3%):

• 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 (wireless), and FDDI networking technologies, including (3%):

• Speed

• Access

• Method

• Topology

• Media

1.3 Specify the characteristics (e.g., speed, length, topology, cable type, etc.) of the following (3%):

• 802.3 (Ethernet) standards

• 10BaseT

• 100BaseTX

• 10Base2

• 10Base5

• 100BaseFX

• Gigabit Ethernet

1.4 Recognize the following media connectors and/or describe their uses (3%):

• RJ-11

• RJ-45

• AUI

• BNC

• ST

• SC

1.5 Choose the appropriate media type and connectors to add a client to an existing network. (3%)

1.6 Identify the purpose, features, and functions of the following network components (5%):

• 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 (25%)

The objectives for this domain are as follows:

2.1 Given an example, identify a MAC address. (1%)

2.2 Identify the seven layers of the OSI model and their functions. (2%)

2.3 Differentiate between the following network protocols in terms of routing, addressing schemes, interoperability, and naming conventions (2%):

• TCP/IP

• IPX/SPX

• NetBEUI

• AppleTalk

2.4 Identify the OSI layers at which the following network components operate (2%):

• Hubs

• Switches

• Bridges

• Routers

• Network interface cards

2.5 Define the purpose, function and/or use of the following protocols within TCP/IP (2%):

• 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%)

2.7 Identify the purpose of the following network services: DHCP/ bootp, DNS, NAT/ICS, WINS, and SNMP. (2%)

2.8 Identify IP addresses (Ipv4, Ipv6) and their default subnet masks. (2%)

2.9 Identify the purpose of subnetting and default gateways. (2%)

2.10 Identify the differences between public vs. private networks. (2%)

2.11 Identify the basic characteristics (e.g., speed, capacity, media) of the following WAN technologies. (2%)

• Packet switching vs. circuit switching

• ISDN

• FDDI

• ATM

• Frame relay

• SONET/SDH

• T1/E1

• T3/E3

• Oc-x

2.12 Define the function of the following remote access protocols and services (2%):

• RAS

• PPP

• PPTP

• ICA

2.13 Identify the following security protocols and describe their purpose and function (2%):

• IPSec

• L2TP

• SSL

• Kerberos

Domain 3.0 Network Implementation (24%)

The objectives for this domain are as follows:

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 (4%):

• 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. (2%)

3.4 Identify the main characteristics of network attached storage. (2%)

3.5 Identify the purpose and characteristics of fault tolerance. (2%)

3.6 Identify the purpose and characteristics of disaster recovery. (2%)

3.7 Given a remote connectivity scenario (e.g., IP, IPX, dial-up, PPPoE, authentication, physical connectivity, etc.), configure the connection. (2%)

3.8 Identify the purpose, benefits, and characteristics of using a firewall. (2%)

3.9 Identify the purpose, benefits, and characteristics of using a proxy. (2%)

3.10 Given a scenario, predict the impact of a particular security implementation on network functionality (e.g., blocking port numbers, encryption, etc.). (2%)

3.11 Given a network configuration, select the appropriate NIC and network configuration settings (DHCP, DNS, WINS, protocols, NetBIOS/host name, etc.). (2%)

Domain 4.0 Network Support (32%)

The objectives for this domain are as follows:

4.1 Given a troubleshooting scenario, select the appropriate TCP/IP utility from among the following (3%):

• Tracert

• Ping

• ARP

• Netstat

• Nbstat

• Ipconfig/Ifconfig

• Winipcfg

• Nslookup

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. (2%)

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. (2%)

4.4 Given specific parameters, configure a client to connect to the following servers (2%):

• Unix/Linux

• NetWare

• Windows

• Macintosh

4.5 Given a wiring task, select the appropriate tool (e.g., wire crimper, media tester/certifier, punchdown tool, tone generator, optical tester, etc.). (2%)

4.6 Given a network scenario, interpret visual indicators (e.g., link lights, collision lights, etc.) to determine the nature of the problem. (2%)

4.7 Given output from a diagnostic utility (e.g., tracert, ping, ipconfig, etc.), identify the utility and interpret the output. (2%)

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. (2%)

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 (4%):

1. Establish the symptoms.

2. Identify the affected area.

3. Establish what has changed.

4. Select the most probable cause.

5. Implement a solution.

6. Test the result.

7. Recognize the potential effects of the solution.

8. 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 affected and the cause of the problem. (3%)

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. (5%)

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). (3%)