CompTIA A+ / Network+ / Security+ CompTIA Network+: Implementation, Operations & Wireless (N10-009) Syllabus

CompTIA Network+: Implementation, Operations & Wireless (N10-009) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for CompTIA Network+: Implementation, Operations & Wireless (N10-009) in CompTIA A+ / Network+ / Security+, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Routing Technologies

   3 topics

   • Routing Fundamentals
     • Static versus dynamic routing
     • Default routes and administrative distance
   • Dynamic Routing Protocols
     • Distance-vector versus link-state
     • OSPF, EIGRP and BGP overview
   • Routing Concepts
     • Route selection, metrics and convergence
     • First-hop redundancy: VRRP and HSRP
2. 2

   Switching Technologies

   3 topics

   • Switching Fundamentals
     • MAC address tables and ARP
     • Collision and broadcast domains
   • VLANs and Trunking
     • VLAN tagging with 802.1Q
     • Native VLAN and voice VLAN
   • Switch Features and Protection
     • Spanning Tree Protocol and port states
     • Port security, EtherChannel and jumbo frames
3. 3

   Wireless Networking

   3 topics

   • Wireless Standards and Frequencies
     • 802.11 standards and 2.4/5/6 GHz bands
     • Channel width, bonding and non-overlapping channels
   • Wireless Design and Deployment
     • Site surveys and heat maps
     • SSID, BSSID and ESSID; roaming
   • Wireless Security and Encryption
     • WPA2, WPA3, PSK and Enterprise authentication
4. 4

   Network Operations

   3 topics

   • Network Monitoring and Performance
     • SNMP, syslog and flow data
     • Baselines, SLAs and performance metrics
   • High Availability and Disaster Recovery
     • Redundancy, failover and load balancing
     • RPO, RTO, MTTR and MTBF
   • Organisational Documentation and Policies
     • Physical and logical diagrams, IPAM and asset inventory
     • Change management and configuration management
5. 5

   Network Troubleshooting

   4 topics

   • Troubleshooting Methodology
     • Structured seven-step approach
   • Cable and Physical Layer Issues
     • Attenuation, crosstalk, EMI and bad terminations
   • Connectivity and Software Tools
     • ping, traceroute, ipconfig/ifconfig, nslookup/dig
     • Packet capture and protocol analysers
   • Common Network Issues
     • Duplicate IPs, rogue DHCP and VLAN mismatch
     • DNS and routing problems

CompTIA Network+: Implementation, Operations & Wireless (N10-009) flashcards for CompTIA A+ / Network+ / Security+

23 of 52 cards from the CompTIA Network+: Implementation, Operations & Wireless (N10-009) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the fundamental purpose of a router in a network?

   A router operates at Layer 3 (Network layer) and forwards packets between different IP networks/subnets by examining destination IP addresses and consulting its routing table to choose the best path.

2. What is the difference between a static route and a dynamic route?

   A static route is manually configured by an administrator and does not change unless edited. A dynamic route is learned and updated automatically by routing protocols (e.g. OSPF, BGP) that react to topology changes.

3. In routing, what is administrative distance (AD) and what does a lower value mean?

   Administrative distance is a measure of the trustworthiness of a route source. A lower AD is preferred. Typical values: Connected = 0, Static = 1, eBGP = 20, OSPF = 110, RIP = 120.

4. What is a default route and how is it written?

   A default route is the 'gateway of last resort' used when no specific route matches a packet's destination. It is written as $0.0.0.0/0$ (IPv4) or $::/0$ (IPv6).

5. What does the 'longest prefix match' rule determine in routing?

   When multiple routes match a destination, the router selects the route with the most specific (longest) subnet mask / prefix length. For example $10.1.1.0/24$ is chosen over $10.0.0.0/8$ for host $10.1.1.5$.

6. Compare distance-vector and link-state routing protocols.

   Distance-vector (e.g. RIP) shares its entire routing table with neighbours periodically and chooses paths by hop count. Link-state (e.g. OSPF) builds a complete map of the topology and uses Dijkstra's SPF algorithm to compute shortest paths, converging faster.

7. What metric does RIP use and what is its maximum hop count?

   RIP (Routing Information Protocol) uses hop count as its metric. Its maximum is 15 hops; a route of 16 hops is considered unreachable (infinite), which limits RIP to small networks.

8. What type of routing protocol is OSPF and what algorithm does it use?

   OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a link-state interior gateway protocol (IGP). It uses the Dijkstra Shortest Path First (SPF) algorithm and bases its metric on cost, which is derived from interface bandwidth.

9. What is BGP and where is it primarily used?

   BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a path-vector exterior gateway protocol (EGP) used to route between autonomous systems (AS). It is the routing protocol of the public internet and makes decisions based on path attributes/policies rather than simple hop count.

10. What is the difference between an IGP and an EGP?

    An IGP (Interior Gateway Protocol, e.g. OSPF, RIP, EIGRP) routes within a single autonomous system. An EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol, e.g. BGP) routes between different autonomous systems.

11. What is convergence in routing, and why does it matter?

    Convergence is the process by which all routers in a network reach a consistent, up-to-date view of the topology after a change. Faster convergence means less downtime and fewer routing loops or dropped packets.

12. What is the primary function of a network switch?

    A switch operates at Layer 2 (Data Link layer) and forwards Ethernet frames between devices on the same LAN using MAC addresses, building a MAC address table to send frames only out the correct port.

13. How does a switch populate its MAC address table?

    A switch learns by examining the source MAC address of incoming frames, recording the MAC-to-port mapping. If a destination MAC is unknown, it floods the frame out all ports except the one it arrived on.

14. What is the difference between a collision domain and a broadcast domain on a switch?

    Each switch port is its own collision domain (full-duplex eliminates collisions). By default all switch ports are in a single broadcast domain; a broadcast domain is segmented using VLANs or routers.

15. Compare a Layer 2 switch and a Layer 3 switch.

    A Layer 2 switch forwards frames using MAC addresses within a LAN. A Layer 3 switch adds routing capability, forwarding packets between VLANs/subnets using IP addresses (inter-VLAN routing) at near-switching speeds.

16. What is a VLAN and what problem does it solve?

    A VLAN (Virtual LAN) logically segments a single physical switch into multiple isolated broadcast domains. It improves security, reduces broadcast traffic, and groups devices logically regardless of physical location.

17. What is a trunk port and which protocol tags the traffic?

    A trunk port carries traffic for multiple VLANs between switches over a single link. The IEEE 802.1Q protocol adds a VLAN tag (a 4-byte tag containing a 12-bit VLAN ID) to each frame to identify its VLAN.

18. What is the native VLAN on an 802.1Q trunk?

    The native VLAN is the one VLAN whose traffic is sent untagged across a trunk link (default VLAN 1). Native VLAN mismatches between switches can cause traffic leakage and security risks.

19. What is the valid range of VLAN IDs in 802.1Q?

    VLAN IDs range from $0$ to $4095$. Usable IDs are $1$–$4094$; IDs $0$ and $4095$ are reserved. The 12-bit VLAN ID field gives $2^{12}=4096$ possible values.

20. What is inter-VLAN routing and one common method to achieve it?

    Inter-VLAN routing forwards traffic between separate VLANs. Common methods are a 'router-on-a-stick' (a router with a trunked subinterface per VLAN) or using a Layer 3 switch with switched virtual interfaces (SVIs).

21. What is Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and which standard defines it?

    STP (IEEE 802.1D) prevents Layer 2 switching loops by blocking redundant paths, leaving a single active loop-free path. It elects a root bridge and places redundant ports into a blocking state.

22. What is the purpose of the STP root bridge and how is it elected?

    The root bridge is the reference point of the spanning tree from which all path costs are calculated. It is elected as the switch with the lowest bridge ID (bridge priority + MAC address); lowest priority wins, MAC breaks ties.

23. What does the switch feature 'PortFast' do?

    PortFast moves an access port directly to the STP forwarding state, skipping listening and learning, for ports connected to end devices. It speeds up host connectivity but should not be used on ports linking to other switches.

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