Network+ (V9) exam objectives summary

Networking concepts (23%)

OSI model layers: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, application.
Networking appliances: routers, switches, firewalls, IDS/IPS, load balancers, proxies, NAS, SAN, and wireless devices.
Cloud concepts: NFV, VPC, network security groups, cloud gateways, deployment models (public, private, hybrid), service models (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS).
Ports and protocols: FTP, SFTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP, RDP, SIP.
Traffic types: unicast, multicast, anycast, broadcast.
Transmission media: wireless (802.11, cellular, satellite), wired (fiber, coaxial, DAC).
Transceivers and connectors: SC, LC, ST, MPO, RJ11, RJ45, F-type, BNC.
Network topologies: mesh, hybrid, star/hub and spoke, spine and leaf, point-to-point, three-tier, and collapsed core.
IPv4 addressing: public vs. private, APIPA, RFC1918, loopback, subnetting (VLSM, CIDR), and address classes (A, B, C, D, E).

Network implementation (20%)

Routing technologies: static and dynamic routing (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF), route selection, NAT, PAT, FHRP, VIP, and subinterfaces.
Switching technologies: VLANs, interface configuration, spanning tree, MTU, and jumbo frames.
Wireless devices: channels, frequency options, SSID, network types, encryption, guest networks, authentication, antennas, and access points.
Physical installations: installation implications, power considerations, and environmental factors.

Network operations (19%)

Documentation: physical vs. logical diagrams, rack diagrams, cable maps, network diagrams, asset inventory, IPAM, SLA, and wireless surveys.
Life-cycle management: EOL, EOS, software management, and decommissioning.
Change management: request process tracking.
Configuration management: production, backup, baseline configurations.
Network monitoring: SNMP, flow data, packet capture, baseline metrics, log aggregation, API integration, and port mirroring.
Disaster recovery: RPO, RTO, MTTR, MTBF, cold/warm/hot sites, active-active/passive, and testing.
Network services: DHCP, SLAAC, DNS, NTP, PTP, and NTS.
Access and management: VPNs, SSH, GUI, API, and console.

Network security (14%)

Logical security: encryption (data in transit/rest), PKI, IAM, MFA, SSO, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML, TACACS+, time-based authentication, authorization, least privilege, role-based access control, and geofencing.
Physical security: cameras and locks.
Deception technologies: honeypot and honeynet.
Security terminology: risk, vulnerability, exploit, threat, and CIA triad.
Audits and compliance: data locality, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
Network segmentation: IoT, IIoT, SCADA, ICS, OT, guest, and BYOD.
Types of attacks: DoS/DDoS, VLAN hopping, MAC flooding, ARP poisoning/spoofing, DNS poisoning/spoofing, rogue devices/services, evil twin, on-path attack, and social engineering (phishing, dumpster diving, shoulder surfing, tailgating).
Security features and defense: device hardening, NAC, key management, ACL, URL/content filtering, trusted vs. untrusted zones, and screened subnet.

Network troubleshooting (24%)

Troubleshooting methodology: identifying the problem, establishing a theory, testing, planning, and implementing a solution, verifying functionality, and documenting findings.
Cabling and physical interface issues: cable issues (incorrect type, signal degradation, improper termination, TX/RX transposed), interface issues (increasing counters, port status), and hardware issues (PoE, transceiver mismatch, signal strength).
Network services issues: switching issues (STP, VLAN assignment, ACLs), routing issues (routing table and default routes), address pool exhaustion, and incorrect gateway/IP/subnet mask.
Performance issues: congestion, latency, packet loss, and wireless interference.
Tools and protocols: protocol analyzers, command line tools, cable testers, and Wi-Fi analyzers.

Network+ Acronym Master List