CompTIA Network+ N10-009

CompTIA Network+ validates the core skills necessary to establish, maintain, troubleshoot and secure networks in any environment, preparing you for a rewarding career in networking and cybersecurity

Why is it different?

Unlike other vendor-specific networking certifications, CompTIA Network+ prepares candidates to support networks on any platform. It provides the foundation you need to work on networks anywhere.

CompTIA Network+ is the only certification that covers the specific skills that network engineers need. Other certifications are so broad, they don’t cover the hands-on skills and precise knowledge needed to in today’s networking environments.

What’s in this version?

The new CompTIA Network+ 009 focuses on foundational networking tools and technologies used to create secure networks, both on-premises and the public cloud, and guarantee the availability of critical business information.

About the exam

CompTIA Network+ N10-009 validates the skills required to implement enterprise-level wired and wireless network solutions; identify and troubleshoot network performance issues; and harden networks against threats to mitigate security vulnerabilities.

The CompTIA Network+ certification verifies that 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 datacenter, cloud and virtual networking concepts.
• Monitor network activity, identifying performance and availability issues.
• Implement network hardening techniques.
• Manage, configure, and troubleshoot network infrastructure.

Target Audience / Top Network+ Job Titles

• Junior Network Administrator
• Datacenter Support Technician
• Network Engineer System Administrator
• NOC Technician
• Telecommunications Technician
• Cable Technician

Networking Concepts

• Explain basic networking concepts, including the OSI model, network appliances, applications, cloud concepts, connectivity options and more.

Network Implementations

• Understand routing technologies and important factors of physical installations; configure switching technologies and wireless devices.

Network Operations

• Monitor and optimize networks to ensure business continuity.

Network Security

• Understand security concepts and network attacks to harden networks against threats.

Network Troubleshooting

• Explain the troubleshooting methodology and address common issues related to networking, including cable, connectivity, and software problems.

9-12 months in the IT networking field

Explaining Network Topologies

• Explain network types and characteristics.
• Compare and contrast OSI model layers.
• Configure SOHO networks.
• Explain CompTIA’s troubleshooting methodology.

Supporting Cabling and Physical Installations

• Summarize Ethernet standards.
• Summarize copper cabling and connector types.
• Summarize fiber optic cabling and connector types.
• Describe physical installation factors for rack-based installations in server rooms and datacenters.
• Deploy and troubleshoot Ethernet cabling.

Configuring Interfaces and Switches

Deploy networking devices.

• Explain network interfaces.
• Deploy common Ethernet switching features.
• Troubleshoot transceiver switching issues.

Configuring Network Addressing

• Explain IPv4 addressing schemes.
• Explain IPv4 forwarding.
• Configure IP networks and subnets.
• Use appropriate tools to test a host’s IP configuration.
• Explain IPv6 addressing schemes.
• Troubleshoot IP networks and hosts.

Configuring Routing and Advanced Switching

• Compare and contrast routing concepts.
• Compare and contrast dynamic routing concepts.
• Install and troubleshoot routers.
• Explain tiered switching architecture.
• Explain virtual LANs.

Implementing Network Services

• Compare and contrast transport protocols.
• Use command line tools to scan network ports.
• Explain the use of network addressing services.
• Explain the use of name resolution services.
• Configure and troubleshoot DHCP and DNS services.

Explaining Application Services

• Explain the importance of time synchronization and the role of NTP.
• Explain the use of web, file/print, and database services.
• Explain the use of email and voice services.
• Explain how high availability services are provisioned using redundancy and load balancing.

Supporting Management Network

• Explain the use of configuration and change management documentation.
• Use discovery and monitoring tools to identify network assets.
• Use event management to ensure network availability.
• Use packet analysis and traffic metrics to troubleshoot performance issues.

Explaining Network Security Concepts

• Explain common security concepts.
• Distinguish risk, vulnerability, exploit, and threat.
• Explain the importance of audits and regulatory compliance.
• Summarize types of attacks and their impact on the network.

Applying Network Security Features

• Explain identity and access management concepts.
• Distinguish protocols and standards used for authentication and directory management.
• Use defense in depth techniques to ensure that only policy-compliant devices can connect to the network.
• Apply security rules, such as ACLs and content filtering, to manage network traffic.

Supporting Network Security Design

• Explain the importance of network segmentation and use of trusted and untrusted zones.
• Describe security implications of internet of things (IoT) and industrial internet of things (IIoT).
• Explain the importance of physical security.

Configuring Wireless Networks

• Summarize wireless standards.
• Install and configure secure wireless networks.
• Troubleshoot wireless networks.

Comparing Remote Access Methods

• Summarize WAN provider and Internet access types.
• Compare and contrast VPN topologies and protocols.
• Explain remote host access and management methods

Datacenter and Storage Networks

• Explain datacenter and storage network architecture.
• Summarize cloud concepts.
• Summarize the use of software, coding, and zero trust in modern network environments.