What Is the Network+ Certification?

comptia network+ jobs no experience

Introduction

The labor market for information technology professionals will remain robust for the next decade. Market intelligence company International Data Corp. estimates that the IT industry will globally add more than 4 million well-paying jobs through 2027. In the United States, the U.S. Labor and Employment Bureau estimates that the computer and information technology sector will grow faster than the average across all sectors, with a 13 percent growth in IT jobs between 2016 and 2026.

Despite such high demand for IT professionals, it’s not guaranteed that you will find a job. Even if you’re not competing against a large pool of applicants, it’s important to prove to a potential employer that you’re qualified for the role. Professional IT certifications are a good way to show that you have the technical skills, and hiring managers often see them as performance indicators. And certifications can help you not only prove your skills and knowledge to a potential employer, but also advance your career and stay competitive.

If you’re interested in the network infrastructure field, CompTIA’s Network+ certification is a good way to demonstrate that you have the foundation required for an entry- to mid-level job. As a core-level credential, the Network+ certification covers areas such as network management, troubleshooting and configuration, skills which are necessary for many network jobs.

A nonprofit trade association, CompTIA is recognized globally as a leading provider of vendor-neutral professional IT certifications. Although the Network+ certification is geared toward entry-level practitioners such as network support specialists, network administrators and help desk technicians, it also provides the expertise that can be valuable in other IT fields.

What Is the Network+ Certification?

Established in the ‘90s, CompTIA is a membership association that has certified more than two million professionals since its inception. Its comprehensive training and certification programs range from basic to advanced and specialized areas. In addition to certifications, the association focuses on educational programs, networking events, research, advocacy and other activities that help advance the IT profession.

The Network+ certification is among CompTIA’s core offerings designed to build foundational skills. CompTIA reviews all its exams regularly to ensure they reflect the most current industry practices. The most current Network+ exam, N10-007, was launched in March 2018 and will be effective for three years. This version was updated to add new topics such as security and network resiliency.

The certification covers five domains:

• Networking concepts
• Infrastructure
• Network operations
• Network security
• Networking troubleshooting and tools

Who Should Earn the Network+ Credential?

CompTIA considers the Network+ as the next step after its A+ certification, another in its series of four core certs. While A+ covers the basics of networking, Network+ takes a closer look at aspects such as:

• Designing and implementing networks
• Understanding wired and wireless network technologies and topologies
• Implementing network security standards, configurations and protocols
• Configuring, maintaining and managing network devices such as firewalls, routers and switches
• Troubleshooting network configurations and other issues
• Understanding and implementing best practices for network operations, including disaster recovery and business continuity

This certification demonstrates that you have a basic understanding of enterprise technologies, making it ideal for anyone who’s in the early stages of their network career. However, those who want to advance to more senior roles should also consider it. Some of the jobs that will benefit from Network+ the most include:

• Computer technician
• Help desk technician
• Network support specialist
• Network administrator
• Network analyst
• Systems engineer
• Systems administrator or analyst

The certification can serve not only as a stepping stone for career advancement but also  provide a solid understanding of networking for other IT roles. Some of the other paths that the Network+ certification could fit include:

• Security specialist
• Web and network systems developer
• Information systems consultant

A review of PayScale’s data for Network+ certifications shows that the average salary earned by IT professionals who have this credential is $62,000, with job titles that include network engineer, IT director and IT manager.

Requirements for Obtaining the Certification

To take the Network+ exam, you do not need any previous IT experience. However, CompTIA recommends at least nine to 12 months of experience in the networking field. The A+ certification is also recommended but not required.

If you have experience in networking, you will find it much easier to prepare for the multiple-question certification exam. A variety of training and exam-prep options are available for those who don’t have a good foundation in networking or just want to brush up on their knowledge of current practices.

What do IT security professionals do?

sec plus test  

Cyber security professionals, or information security analysts, have a wide range of responsibilities, but the crux of their job is to protect online data form being compromised. As more of our personal information is stored online, the more important it becomes to step up security.

Cybersecurity careers are complex and many roles can be found with banks, retailers and government organizations. On the job, you can expect to safeguard an organization's files and network, install firewalls, create security plans and monitor activity. If a breach occurs, you'll be responsible for identifying the problem and finding a solution quickly.

Because of the frequency of cyber attacks, careers are varied and qualified professionals are in demand.

If you're ready to get started in this fast-growing career, start exploring cyber careers now.

Here's what our cybersecurity career pages will teach you

We're experts in our field and we want you to become an expert in yours. There are many subtle variations in cybersecurity careers, even though they all may have the same end goal of keeping data and sensitive information safe. Our career pages can help you distinguish the differences and choose the right area of expertise to fit your skills and personality.

Before you embark on your education you'll want to know what's in store for your future. That includes not only what your educational journey will entail, but what the actual cyber security career you choose will really be like.https://www.fieldengineer.com/skills/certified-wireless-security-professional

How do I make my WiFi secure?

wi-fi security

Wireless Networking (Wi-Fi) has made it so easy for anyone to use Internet on your computer, mobile phones, tablets and other wireless devices anywhere in the house without the clutter of cables. With traditional wired networks, it is extremely difficult for someone to steal your bandwidth but the big problem with wireless signals is that others can access the Internet using your broadband connection even while they are in a neighboring building or sitting in a car that’s parked outside your apartment.

• It will increase your monthly Internet bill especially when you have to pay per byte of data transfer.
• It will decrease your Internet access speed since you are now sharing the same internet connection with other users.
• It can create a security hazard* as others may hack your computers and access your personal files through your own wireless network.

PS:What do the bad guys use - There have been quite a few instances where innocent Internet users have been arrested for sending hate emails when in reality, their email accounts where hacked though the unsecured Wi-Fi networks that they had at home. Wireshark is a free packet sniffing tool for Linux, Mac and Windows that can scan traffic flowing though a wireless network including cookies, forms and other HTTP requests.

How to Secure Your Wireless Network

The good news is that it is not very hard to make your wireless network secure, which will both prevent others from stealing your internet and will also prevent hackers from taking control of your computers through your own wireless network.

Here a few simple things that you should to secure your wireless network:

Step 1. Open your router settings page

First, you need to know how to access your wireless router’s settings. Usually you can do this by typing in “192.168.1.1” into your web browser, and then enter the correct user name and password for the router. This is different for each router, so first check your router’s user manual.

You can also use Google to find the manuals for most routers online in case you lost the printed manual that came with your router purchase. For your reference, here are direct links to the manufacturer’s site of some popular router brands - Linksys, Cisco, Netgear, Apple AirPort, SMC, D-Link, Buffalo, TP-LINK, 3Com, Belkin.

Step 2. Create a unique password on your router

Once you have logged into your router, the first thing you should do to secure your network is to change the default password* of the router to something more secure. 

This will prevent others from accessing the router and you can easily maintain the security settings that you want. You can change the password from the Administration settings on your router’s settings page. The default values are generally admin/password.

What are the main threats to wireless security?

wireless network security

With the deployment of wireless LANs in almost any type of environment, the risk of attacks occurring on wireless networks goes up. A number of different reasons are behind this, but it mainly stems from a lack of wireless network knowledge.

Unlike a wired network which requires physical access to a device, a wireless network can be targeted and exploited from a distance. This article reviews some basic wireless security fundamentals and reviews some of the most common threats that exist when deploying wireless networks.

Wireless Security Basics

There are a number of basic fundamentals that a person or company needs to be aware of when deploying a wireless network. The first is a basic understanding of what frequencies will be used by the equipment being deployed; this is very important when deploying a wireless network as it affects the amount of interference that the network will be subject to depending on the specific environment.

At this point in time, there are two main frequency bands that are used for wireless LANs (802.11); these include the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. From a security perspective, the choice of frequency does not greatly affect the security risk of the network. What it does affect is the number of available non-overlapping channels that are available on the network; for the most part this will not affect security except when an attacker is attempting to jam or block a specific frequency to force wireless endpoints to switch Access Points (AP).

Endpoint devices identify wireless networks using a service set identifier (SSID) along with a set of security parameters. On most wireless deployments, the SSID is broadcast from the APs allowing the clients the ability to easily associate. It is possible to not broadcast the SSID which provides a little protection from those wireless network attackers with little operating knowledge; however for an experienced wireless attacker this is not a very effective security measure.

The real security for a wireless network comes from the selection of a proven security technique, there have been a number of different security techniques deployed that have been broken. As of this writing the most secure technique is IEEE 802.11i which is also known as WPA2. This standard provides two different modes of operation including one typically referred to as Personal or Pre-Shared Key (PSK) and Enterprise:

• WPA2-Personal - utilizes a shared key that is communicated to both sides (AP and client) before establishing a wireless connection; this key is then used to secure the traffic.
• WPA2-Enterprise - utilizes the IEEE 802.1x protocol to authenticate a wireless client using an authentication server before traffic is allowed.

Common Wireless Threats

There are a number of main threats that exist to wireless LANS, these include:

• Rogue Access Points/Ad-Hoc Networks
• Denial of Service
• Configuration Problems (Mis-Configurations/Incomplete Configurations)
• Passive Capturing

Let's go through each of these in more detail

How much does entry level help desk make?

entry level help desk salary

What is the average salary for jobs related to "information technology"? The average salary for "information technology" ranges from approximately $41,773 yearly for Technical Support Representative to $129,325 yearly for Director of Information Technology.

What Does A Help Desk Technician Do?

Help desk technicians play a crucial role in providing technical support systems for IT users, including employees and customers.

Help desk technician job description

Help desk technicians are instrumental to the smooth running of any IT department, and they also provide a valuable service to customers and clients. Often the first port of call when there is a network issue, these skilled technicians have expertise in customer service, as well as problem-solving.

A help desk technician has a varied role, which is centered on maintaining technologies, providing IT support, troubleshooting and identifying solutions.

Desk technicians can work in-house or remotely on a freelance basis, and their day to day job may change depending on the nature of concerns raised by employees or customers. In-house employees deal only with internal systems and network issues that affect and impact the workforce, while remote workers may deal with customer queries and problems via phone, email or on-site visits.

Day to day tasks

Common examples of tasks undertaken by an IT help desk technician include:

• Providing assistance to customers who experience technical problems. Most commonly, this involves either telephone or online communication.
• Using diagnostic techniques and problem-solving methods to troubleshoot issues over the telephone, via live chat or as part of an on-site visit
• Talking customers through a troubleshooting process and working together to rectify problems
• Identifying effective solutions and offering explanations to customers and employees
• Recording events, concerns and issues and updating case queries and customer statuses
• Collecting and passing on feedback from clients
• Suggesting improvements for future cases
• Training end users to use new systems and programs
• Backing up, updating and maintaining networks
• PC cleaning, repair and maintenance

What does A+ salary mean?

a+ salary

There is no legal/official definition for A+ salary. It is a comparative term and it varies across companies and different professions.

• Average salary in Juniper Systems is around 14lac per year. This is one of the highest salary paid in the engineering domain. Hence, it is a A+ salary for the Software engineers in the Market.
• Now it can also be for a particular company. IBM pays around 8 lac per annum. It is the highest salary paid to in IBM. Hence, it is the A+ salary for IBM. But it is not the A+ salary for the market.
• A+ Salary, as it may seem, refers to a certain salary level, most possibly paid to professionals who have an A+ or equivalent certification in IT. The A+ certification was introduced by CompTIA in 1993, and since then has become an industry standard for hiring employees in hardware and network industry. Most big employers like Dell, HP, Lenovo require candidates to have it. I searched for the specific term "A+ salary" on the web but nothing conclusive turned up in the search results. I would like other Quora users to come up with their version.

• Benefits of investing in a CompTIA A+ certification

  • Credibility – the credential is widely recognized and respected; it is a powerful validation of your proficiency.
  • Prerequisite for training programs – a number of corporate and vendor-specific training programs list A+ as a prerequisite.
  • Improved career opportunities – it opens many new doors that boost your career. Many top IT companies, including IBM only hire CompTIA A+ certified service technicians.
  • Increased salary earnings – IT salary surveys show that A+ certification helps increase earnings when compared to non-certified individuals.
  • Higher levels of confidence – A+ certified candidates are more confident when applying for jobs.
  • College credits – CompTIA A+ certification earns you credits in many colleges in addition to other top certification programs offered by Cisco, Microsoft, Certport and Hewlett-Packard.

Should I take the CompTIA A+ before Network+?

a+ certification jobs salary

The three primary entry level CompTIA certifications are the A+, Network+ and Security+, and because so many people start their careers focusing on one or more of these certifications, the question often comes up about which certification to take first and which of these you really need for your career.

Should you take the CompTIA A+ before Network+?  You don’t need to, and probably shouldn’t take the CompTIA A+ before the Network+ certification exam, because if you’re entering into field of cyber security, your focus should be on obtaining the Network+ and Security+ instead.

I’m sure this response brings up quite a few questions in everyone’s mind, so let’s discuss why skipping the A+ is practical and why you should go for the Network+ and Security+ instead.

Reasons why skipping the CompTIA A+ makes sense

While I do train students on CompTIA A+ material, and in fact require the training before they get into networking, I have been advising students to skip the CompTIA A+ certification exam and jump straight to the Network+ exam if they are pursuing a certification.  There are several reasons why.

Reason #1:  CompTIA A+ requires two exams, while Network+ and Security+ only require one.  The A+ covers a lot of material and requires you to take two exams, which most people sit for on different days, often a week or more apart.  This two exam approach requires a lot more study and preparation and therefore delays when you can actually say that you’re certified. One test certifications are the best option for entry level certification seekers because they are more manageable and provide the positive reinforcement of an early victory that much sooner.  And because it’s advisable to also be looking for internship or entry level opportunities while you’re pursuing your certifications and education, it’s that much sooner that the certification will be on your resume.

Reason #2:  Network+ is not more difficult than the A+.  While CompTIA recommends that you take A+ before Network+, they have never made it a requirement, and plenty of people are successful jumping right to the Network+.  This is because the Network+ isn’t any more difficult that the A+, and in fact it may be easier than the A+ simply because of the tremendous amount of material on both A+ exams and the rote memorization much of the A+ material requires.  If the difficulty level is so similar, it is worth considering if the higher level Network+ certification is a better use of your time. Keep in mind that A+ knowledge is important, and will help you success on the Network+, so it’s still an important subject to learn.  But what we’re talking about here is which topic to choose to do the deep dive study required to pass a certification.

Reason #3: A+ aligns to a lower level, and lower paid skill set.  The CompTIA A+ is the go to certification for anyone interested in getting into a computer repair or help desk position, but those positions have always been considered entry level and have been on the lower end of the pay scale.  Since your study time is limited, the fact is you just don’t have the time to prepare for every certification you may want or learn everything you may want to know, so we have to be careful and deliberate with our study time. It’s not prudent to spend time on a certification that aligns to a skill set that you will quickly move beyond in your career.  Consider this: If you only had time to prepare for two certifications, would you want the A+ and Network+, or the Network+ and Security+? I think in some cases, having the A+ may inadvertently pigeonhole us into a non-cyber security position or career path.

Reason #4:  Network+ supersedes A+ in most employer’s minds.  It seems that employers are fairly comfortable with assuming that if you’re solid on the Network+ than you also have a working knowledge of A+ as well.  This is because Network+ is considered more valuable, but not that much more advanced than the A+ certification. This means that if you had an intermediate or advanced certification, such as the CompTIA CASP but didn’t have any other certifications or experience, employers would probably question your ability and if you have the practical knowledge and background you really need.  But because Network+ is so close to A+ in level, it doesn’t have this same risk of being your first certification and causing an employer to question your true ability.