Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual [Paperback]

David L. Prowse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0789732939 | ISBN-13: 978-0789732934 | Edition: 1

Attention Network + Candidates: Put your knowledge to the test! Network + Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual can provide you with important experience before your test. Each lab corresponds to the key objectives for the exam, simulating real-world tasks and has key objectives, step-by-step procedures and "What did I just learn?" report sections to ensure that you understand the key concepts covered in the lab. You can also register your book at www.examcram2.com to receive exclusive access to 175 additional test questions. Empower yourself before your test with Network + Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David L. Prowse  is owner of TSR Data, a Technology Solutions company focusing on IT security, web development, and training. At age 33, David now has 15 various IT certifications, including Network+, which he has beta-tested twice since its inception. He has taught the Network+ course more than 30 times. He is a licensed Telecomm/Datacomm installer and is also the creator of www.technicalblog.com, an IT support site. Ed Tittel, Series Editor of the Training Guide Series and the Exam Cram 2 Series, is a two-time finalist for CertCities' readers' Favorite Study Guide Author. Ed has contributed to more than 100 books.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual

Introduction

Introduction to Your Lab Manual

Welcome to the Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual! This book is designed to be a perfect complement to the Network+ Exam Prep 2, Network+ Exam Cram 2, Second Edition, and the Network+ Practice Questions Exam Cram 2 books. The Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual includes more than 25 labs with nearly 50 exercises that mimic tasks and present real-world scenarios that a network administrator might face on the job. The exercises were developed based on the Network+ exam objectives.

Written by a Network+ instructor, the Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual provides clear, step-by-step directions to help the reader through complex exercises and offers ample guidance to help the reader avoid potential pitfalls. For topics that don't lend themselves to hands-on exercises, this book includes research-based exercises, such as researching a topic on the Internet and/or in print media and answering a set of questions based on that research, or creating a report or other such document based on that research.

The author includes references to specific chapters and topics in the corresponding Network+ Exam Cram 2, Second Edition and Network+ Exam Prep 2 books; however, this lab manual is a standalone product that can be used effectively both individually and in a class setting. If you feel that you could benefit both from buying this book and taking a class, check out the many third-party vendors who offer Network+ training in addition to training offered by CompTIA.

Undoubtedly, experience with the technologies on which you are going to be tested is critical. To truly be prepared for your certification exam it is recommended that you read and study, complete lots of practice questions, and gain solid experience with the technologies on which you will be tested. The last point is our intent with this book. We want to offer you plenty of opportunity to jump into the technologies the Network+ exam tests on, complete with plenty of guidance and feedback to assist you throughout your exercises. So, after you complete this lab manual, it is our hope that you will feel more confident and competent with networking fundamentals as well as the objectives you must master for the Network+ exam!

Who Is This Book For?

This is always a critical question that readers want to answer before purchasing any book. It can be frustrating to buy a book that doesn't fit your needs, to say the least—we know from experience! With that said, this book is for anyone studying for the Network+ exam who feels they are at a point in their study where they need to put the concepts and principles of Network+ into action for greater understanding. If you are qualified to be taking the Network+ exam, you are the person for this book. However, you should use the exercises in this book at the point you feel you are ready to get hands-on experience. This, of course, will vary for every reader, but knowing how you learn and what study techniques best breed success for you is the path to passing the Network+ exam.

A word of warning is necessary here! Don't use this book as your sole study vehicle. We know that saying our book is not the sole study guide needed for exam success may sound weird! Make no mistake, we want this book to succeed greatly, but we also know that successful certification students almost always have more than one study source. This is not a sales pitch for Que's other products, either! It is tried-and-true advice. Not every book covers items completely or to the degree you may need, so having several study aides gives you a greater chance of finding the information you need along with different viewpoints and experiences from various authors. That is truly a rich learning environment!

What Makes Up a Que Network+ Lab Manual?

By now, you are probably curious as to what makes up a Que Network+ lab manual. The following list will detail for you what a typical chapter contains.

• Introduction. Each chapter contains an introduction that gives insight as to what the chapter covers, why this content is important for the exam, and any other information you may need as you begin to do the exercises.

• Objectives list. This is simply a listing of the Network+ objectives, quoted from CompTIA, that your particular chapter will be covering.

• Step-by-step lab procedures. This is the meat of your lab manual's chapters. Here is where you will exercise your skills and develop that all-important set of experiences that will help you on the job and on the Network+ exam.

• What Did I Just Learn? This critical section follows your step-by-step exercises and sums up and reviews the concepts and skills you should have mastered after completing the exercises. If you don't feel confident that you picked up those skills or understood the concepts provided, try the steps again and consult some of your other study books for review.

• Practice questions. At the end of each chapter, we provide you with a small number of practice questions. There won't be a lot of these, but we include them to help you make sure that you have an understanding of the concepts and skills central to the chapter you are completing. If you become uncomfortable or unsure while answering these practice questions, be sure to visit other study guides to get more information or review.

Other Elements You Will Encounter

While the preceding list gives you the major elements each chapter in your Network+ lab manual contains, you will see some other elements floating around. The following list details these for you:

• Figures. Periodically, you will be offered a picture or diagram that will help you visualize something while you are doing your exercises.

• Exam alerts. Once in a while, you will encounter these elements, which are offered to you as a sort of early warning. If you see something in an exam alert, you should take great care to learn about it because you can be fairly certain that the topic(s) will be on the Network+ exam.

• Hints. These elements periodically appear to give a hint on how to do something differently or some extra advice on how to complete an exercise step. These will be placed in locations where we have students before you have had difficulty. This is our way of trying to head off potential trouble—as much as possible, at least!

• Warnings. Warnings are alarms to you that something could go really wrong if you aren't careful. Pay close attention to these!

About Network+

The CompTIA Network+ certification tests an individual's basic skills and knowledge of general networking concepts, data-communications methods, basic security, and communication protocols. Candidates are recommended to possess at least nine months of network-support work experience and the A+ certification or equivalent knowledge.

System Requirements

The following is a list of the recommended components and their minimum recommended requirements for this lab manual.

• A PII 266MHz PC with 64MB RAM, 2GB HDD, CD-ROM, and network interface card (installed with Windows 2000 Professional) This will be known as PC1.

• A PII 266MHz PC with 128MB RAM, 2GB HDD, CD-ROM, and network interface card (installed with Windows 2000 Professional or Server) This will be known as PC2.

• A four-port wireless/wired router with built-in firewall

• A wireless NIC

• Two straight-through patch cables

• Access to Windows 2000 Professional software

• Access to Windows 2000 Server software

• 25 feet or more of Category 5 or CAT5e cable

• A wire stripper

• An RJ-45 crimper

• A package of RJ-45 plugs

• A patch tester

• Access to the Internet

• (Optional) a two- or four-port KVM switch

For the labs we will be referring to the following:

• Compaq Deskpro PIII 533MHz computers with 256MB RAM and 3Com 3C905 XL 10/100 PCI TX network interface cards (these cards will automatically be recognized by Windows 2000 during the OS install)

• Linksys wireless router model WRT54G

• Linksys PCI wireless NIC model WMP54G

• WiedMuller wire stripper model AM 12

• Paladin Tools RJ-45 crimper

• Ideal RJ-45 plugs #85-346 or like-model plugs

• Paladin Tools Patch

• Check 1529 patch tester

• Belkin four-port KVM switch bundled with cables, PS/2, part #F1DJ104P

• Cable Internet access

Although it is highly recommended that you use two separate PCs, users who do not have access to multiple computers will find that virtual computer software such as VMWare Workstation or Microsoft Virtual PC is useful for emulating networks. Time-limited evaluation copies of both of these products are available. For more information, visit http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop/ws_features.html and http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/.

In Conclusion

This manual is created as a means for you to gain hands-on experience with the concepts and technologies on which you are likely to be tested. Although we can't guarantee you a passing score from using this book, we can offer you plenty of hands-on experience that will be sure to help you on the job and on the exam.

Rem...

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Que; 1 edition (August 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789732939
• ISBN-13: 978-0789732934
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,542,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passed the exam, book helped me a lot!, February 9, 2006

By 

Big Trouble - See all my reviews

This review is from: Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual (Paperback)

Just passed the Net+ exam. I found this book through a link on the website www.technicalblog.com. While going through the labs in the book, I did have a few questions about some of the step by step instructions. They were answered quickly by the author on the above website. I also got some valuable information from other moderators on the sites bulletin board.

I didn't really understand VPNs until going through the labs in this book. The questions (while I wish there was more) were very helpful as well.

Amazing book for the money, I recommend!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent hands-on manual, October 3, 2005

By 

B. Lagua (Marlboro, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual (Paperback)

The Network+ Lab Manual is an excellent book! The hands-on labs are very valuable and easy to follow. It feels like you have a personal guide walking you through every step of the way in accomplishing your task. I especially liked several labs that dealt with the Linksys router since there's nothing much to glean from the manual that came with it.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants to get a better understanding of networking. David's style of writing is simple, personal and direct to the point. There is a lot of information provided that I would definitely keep this manual as a reference guide. The support website is also full of additional information and resources.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommend this to people studying for Net+, September 16, 2005

By 

Rich H. (NV, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Network+ Exam Cram 2 Lab Manual (Paperback)

I'm glad I picked this up. It helped me to pass the exam.

Used this book & TestKing, and passed with an 831. (554 is the minimum, 900 is the max passing score).

The exam cram books only have about 5 questions per section but if this book had more I probably wouldn't have needed any other materials. This is another example of a great Exam Cram book and I recommend this one to anyone looking to learn handson network+ concepts and pass the exam.