What is CompTIA Network+ Certification?

CompTIA Network+ is a computer network certification that provides expertise in computer networking concepts at both theoretical and practical levels.

Network+ is a vendor neutral certification offered by CompTIA. CompTIA is a trade association consisting of 2,000 member organizations and 3,000 business partners.

CompTIA Network+ certification is trusted by major companies including Apple, Cisco, Canon, Dell, HP and Verizon. Network+ covers both wired and wireless networks, with a special focus on core system connections with endpoint devices.

Network+ certification makes you a great fit for network engineering and network administrator jobs, for which the demand is increasing rapidly. According to Robert Half’s 2020 IT salary report, network engineers and network administrators are among the top 10 in-demand jobs of 2020.

CompTIA Network+ is accredited by The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and complies with ISO 17024 Standard.

According to the 2019 Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report, Network+ is one of the most popular CompTIA certifications worldwide.

The Network+ exam comprises of 90 questions and is 90 minutes long. You can expect multiple choice questions, drag and drop, and performance-based questions.

Performance-based questions are designed to test your ability to apply networking concepts practically. Performance-based questions are based on simulations and virtual environments.

For example, a diagram of different firewalls and DNS servers is provided. You are asked to solve a problem related to email services in the given scenario. You can drag and drop the correct answers in the blocks provided with the diagram.

Passing score for the certification is 720, and the cost of the Network+ exam is $329 USD.

Skills Measured by CompTIA Network+ Certification

Some of the key skills measured and validated by CompTIA Network+ include design and implementation of functional networks, configuration, management and maintenance of network devices, using routers and switches to maintain the flow of network traffic, identifying network vulnerabilities and resolving them, implementing network security best practices and standards, creating and visualizing new networks for complex environments and more.

Learning these skills will make you competent at understanding the networking dynamics of different organizations. Apart from theoretical concepts, the certification also includes labs and hands-on experience.

Specifically, the Network+ certification will give you an opportunity to learn the following concepts.

Networking Concepts

• Protocols and Ports
• Protocol Types
• OSI layers
• Properties of network traffic
• Segmentation and interface properties
• Routing
• Subnetting
• Wired topologies
• Configurations
• Cloud Concepts

Infrastructure

• Cabling solutions
• Transceivers
• Configuration of devices
• Virtualization

Network Operations

• Diagrams
• Availability concepts
• Monitoring

Network Security

• Detection
• Authentication
• Network Attacks
• Troubleshooting
• Hardware tools
• Software tools

Download the CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) Exam Objectives for a more complete curriculum.

Pre-requisites for Network+ Certification

As CompTIA Network+ is a vendor neutral certification, there are no required pre-requisites. Even if you don’t have a degree or prior experience in computer networking, you can still sign up for the certification.

However, CompTIA recommends having the CompTIA A+ certification or equivalent knowledge, and at least 9 months of experience in IT or a networking infrastructure environment. Having this background will help you understand the concepts much easier.

A+ certification covers all basic networking concepts at a beginner level. That’s why having A+ certification would help you with your Network+ certification.

How to Prepare for the CompTIA Network+ Certification Exam

To prepare for CompTIA Network+ certification, there are several options available.

Self-Study Resources

The first option is self-study resources. These resources include books, study guides, and videos. They are designed based on the course objectives of the Network+ exam and will help you cover the complete syllabus.

Let’s look at all of these resources and see their pros and cons.

Books

Using books to prepare for Network+ certification will give you a solid grasp of the subject matter. CompTIA Network+ preparation books cover all the curriculum of the certification, so you won’t have to worry about missing anything important from the exam objectives.

Books are a good option for you if you prefer to learn from written text and diagrams.

Books are written in serial order, and concepts build up on each other chapter by chapter. Using books to prepare for the exam will help you develop a solid understanding of networking concepts, and this will help you grasp more complex networking scenarios in the future.

There are many books which you can use to prepare for Network+ certification.  One of the most effective is the CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide by Mike Myers, which covers all exam objectives and includes practice questions.

Preparing for the Network+ exam using a book is time consuming.  If you are short on time, and don’t want to read a lot of text, books aren’t the best option.

If you are a more visual learner, and enjoy an interactive learning experience, you might find books too complex.

Video Training

Videos based training helps in the understanding and retention of complex concepts. Videos are one of the best resources to prepare for the Network+ exam if you are short on time. Videos enable you to understand networking concepts in a visual and interactive way.

You can find an expert instructor-led Network+ video training course here.

Solely relying on videos for exam preparation could result in lack of in-depth understanding. Videos can sometimes be short and less detailed than books.   It is highly recommended that you complement your video training with practice labs and practice questions.

Instructor-Led Training

If you think the self-study method isn’t for you, you can use instructor-led training. The biggest advantage of this method is that you can ask questions directly to an expert, get hands-on training, and quickly remove confusion as you work through the exam preparation material.

There are several forms of instructor-led training available. You can use online instructor-led training programs in which you will learn remotely by attending live training sessions conducted by Network+ experts. There are instructor-led classroom training programs available as well.

However, instructor-led training programs are quite expensive. For example, the GlobalKnowledge training package costs upward of $1295 USD.  The package includes 5 days of hands-on, instructor-led online training.

Instructor-led training programs are suitable if you prefer to learn directly from an expert and ask questions whenever you want.

Practice Tests

It’s not easy to solve 90 questions in 90 minutes. No matter how well you prepared, you should do practice tests for Network+ certification before you sit in the actual exam.

Going through practice tests will help you understand how to solve complex network questions in a short period of time.

When you are given a scenario and asked to come up with the optimal solution, it’s very easy to become stuck and waste a lot of time on a single question. Practice tests will give you an idea about your speed. You will also learn to approach questions with the right perspective.

You can find Network+ exam practice tests here.

Practice Labs

Computer networking is a highly practical domain where concepts must be applied in real-life scenarios to resolve problems.

Practice labs are a must if you want to get a good pass mark on the exam.  Lab simulations allow you to try out networking concepts in a real live environment. Using live practice labs will solidify your learning and ensure you are prepared for any scenario-based questions.

One of the biggest advantages of focusing on practice labs is that you will develop a keen eye for practical resolution of different problems.

You can find Network+ exam practice labs here.

What Jobs can you get with a Network+ Certification?

Jobs in the area of computer networking are expected to rise significantly through 2028 and beyond, according to the US department of labor.

The average median salary of professionals in the computer networking domain is around $82,000, with huge growth potential.

As companies become more dependent on the inter-connectivity of their data resources, the demand for experts in networking rises. With a Network+ certification you can become eligible for a diverse range of jobs in networking. These jobs include

• Network Administrator
• Computer Technician
• Network Field Technician
• Help Desk Technician
• Junior System Engineer
• System Engineer
• IS Consultant
• Network Support Specialist
• Network Field Engineer
• Network Analyst

However, you should not expect to get these jobs just by having the Network+ certification alone. Many companies are looking for a combination of Network+ with advanced certifications like CCNA. You should also have some practical experience of working in the industry if you are looking for intermediate or advanced level jobs.

Network+ Certification Salary

A quick look at famous jobs website Indeed shows that there is a strong demand for Network+ certification from companies looking for network engineers, network administrators, and network analyst’s.

The average salary offered for these positions is over $75,000.

According to compensation data firm PayScale, companies hire CompTIA Network+ certificate holders for roles like network administrator, IT manager and system administrator.

Average salary for Network+ certification, according to PayScale, is $65,000.

According to the 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report by Global Knowledge, network engineer is one of the top non-management roles of 2019, with an average salary of $87,000 in North America.

Observations from Successful Network+ Certification Holders in the Industry

Some of the best feedback comes from successful Network+ candidates who also got jobs in the industry.

Their general recommendation is, while you are preparing for the Network+ exam you should try to apply the concepts, via practice labs or real networks, rather than simply trying to pass the exam.

For example, while reading about network topologies, ask yourself about the choices you’d make in a practical environment. What environment is best for a star topology? Where would you deploy mesh topology? This approach will help you in interviews and demonstrations.

Do NOT just learn “what” a term/concept is — rather learn “how/why” you would apply that concept when considering network troubleshooting or networking solutions.

For example, don’t just learn that 802.11a is 5GHz. Instead think of it in terms like “Why would I want to use 802.11a versus a different wireless standard such as 802.11b? What are the advantages of one over the other? How do they relate to more modern technologies like 802.11n and 802.11ac?”

That’s a very simple example but if you take that approach to every term and concept you learn, you’ll be much more prepared for the exam than just memorizing facts.

Reddit User “wguroot”

https://www.reddit.com/r/CompTIA/comments/aeqpsx/comptia_network_n10007/

Candidates who pass Network+ and go onto advanced CompTIA certifications like Security+ believe that advanced certifications become easier after passing Network+.

The difficulty of Sec+ will depend on a lot of things. But the general consensus around here is that Sec+ is a lot easier after passing Net+. Good luck! The Sec+ 401 was easier than my N10-006 exam. The current 501 seems to be a pretty tough exam based on the feedback in here.

Reddit user “LabGeek5071”

https://www.reddit.com/r/CompTIA/comments/8vd4s4/i_passed_my_comptia_network_certification/

People who have successfully passed the Network+ also recommend that anyone preparing for Network+ certification should print the exam objectives provided by CompTIA and continue to revisit them.  These objectives will offer detailed guidelines on the subject matter.

Overall I believe the most important part of this process was the time I spent ensuring I had physically writing down the answers to each objective for the exam. This ensured I had seen everything at least once. Without doing this I would have easily missed something important. All of the training resources, by themselves do not cover every item in the objectives, I needed to look in numerous areas for the information. I highly recommend you using this process when you begin preparing for a COMPtia exam!

Reddit User “Morganob”

https://www.reddit.com/r/CompTIA/comments/86pw3t/passed_network_first_try_today_my_method_of/

 

If you’re studying for this exam I suggest following along with the CompTIA exam Objectives and X’ing out every concept you can explain already.

Reddit User “TheMoistiestMonk”

https://www.reddit.com/r/CompTIA/comments/9wsa1v/network/

The Truth About Network+

Network+ certification is an entry-level certification which is not vendor specific. This means that having this certification will give you a general, but solid understanding of networking concepts.

Network+ is very helpful in getting you started with your IT career, but if you want to advance to the upper echelons in the field of IT networking, it is recommend that you also get intermediate and advanced level certifications like CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), and CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional).

The majority of Network+ certified experts in the industry recommend pursuing intermediate and advanced certifications like CCNA and CCNP if you want to apply for high-end networking jobs.

Having a vendor-specific certification like Network+ will boost your chances of getting good jobs in the industry, as companies prefer experts who are qualified, and can configure, deploy, monitor and understand networks that are being used in their organization.

Is the Network+ Certification for You?

Network+ is one of the most popular networking certifications in the world because it gives you a very strong grasp of networking concepts and creates a foundation to help you understand more advanced concepts.

The certification is relatively cheap, and could be passed by studying just for one month with focus.

If you don’t have a Computer Science or Networking Degree, and are planning to start an IT career, the Network+ certification is for you.

The certification will remove the initial hurdles that you might face due to lack of experience or industry credentials, as it validates your understanding of networking.

With Network+, you can pursue advanced certifications and get high-end jobs with salaries of over $65,000.

So, is the CompTIA Network+ certification worth it?

If you are new to IT and looking for an infrastructure networking certification to help you get your first job or advance up the IT career ladder then Network+ will be worth the time, effort, and cost.