Network+ Study Resources (2005 Objectives) All-in-One Thread!

[Neil]

Network+ Study Resources
Sorry for being away for so long. Anyways, I'm back with recommended study resources that are sure to help you ace this exam........as long as you study and apply them ofcourse!

This was supposed to be a continuation of my "Neil's Network+ Notes & Tips" thread, but since this is a *most-sought-after* topic, I decided that it deserved a thread all to itself.......much easier for newbies to spot rather than creating or hunting through tons of threads!

The resources that I'm listing here are the ones I used for my study, and which I believe are more than enough to help you pass the exam. I'll divide them into categories along with some optional resources (to be thorough). Optional resources are in italics. So here goes:


Main Study Books

• Sybex Network+ Study Guide, 4th Edition (2005)
• Mike Meyers' Network+ Certification Exam Guide 3rd Edition (2005 Objectives)
• Mike Meyers' Passport to Network+ Certification (2005 Objectives) - this is a *condensed* version of his main guide (above), so it can also be used as Revision material (Tip: I used the A+ version as one of my main texts - along with the Sybex - and found it to be quite sufficient for A+!!!)
• Exam Cram 2 Network+ Study Guide

CBT/Video Training

• LearnKey CompTIA Network+ Certification (2005) - 12 hours of Mike Meyers!!!

Exam Software

• Transcender Exam Preparation - also contains links to their Study Guide and e-Learning Courses
• Mike Meyers Network+ Premium Edition Practice Exams (600 Questions, 2005 Objectives)
• Measure Up N10-003 - Network+ 2007 Practise Test (418 questions) - also has an online course available

Revision Study Text

• O'Reilly A+, Network+ & Security+ Exams in a Nutshell - a damn GREAT book!!! Masterpiece I'd rather say (I NEVER referred to any study text this way!). And not only good for Network+.....
• CramSession Resources

Other Resources

• PrepLogic Resources - includes Study Guides, exams, video, audio, etc. and also contains links to other CompTIA courses as well as their prices (they have a blowout sale now by the way!)
• Boson Network+ Training (5-day course)
• SelfTest Software Network+ N10-003 Resources - products include: practice exams, study guide and e-Learning course

Labs & Post-Exam Reference Resources

• Sybex Network Administrator Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to CompTIA Network+ Skills
• Mike Meyers' Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks Lab Manual (2005 Objectives)

Phew! I believe I've covered the MOST ESSENTIAL ones. However, I admit I may have missed a couple good exam software, CBTs and lab references here and there, but I leave it up to the experienced Admins to expand on the above categories and add their recommendations as they deem necessary. I sure wish I had a thread like this to get me started in Network+ But better late than never, eh?

Also, if your study material is not listed above, you can use CertGuard's CertSearch Tool to verify that you are using LEGITIMATE study material. We DO NOT & WILL NEVER condone braindumps! As CertGuard says: "Stay away [from braindumps] unless you want to risk your existing and future certs."

NOTE: These resources cover the 2005 Objectives which I believe will officially be retired in either June or July 2009, so they are still valid for QUITE a while more........ Enjoy!

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

Phew! Now if anyone uses anything else besides those listed above, then *most likely* its ILLEGAL!

Yikes! Not true at all! You haven't left out a few... you've left out a bunch! Your statement basically says that legitimate companies like Self Test Software, Measure Up, and Boson can't be trusted because they are most likely illegal. And that's just the practice exams...

Instead of resorting to such misrepresentations, why don't you simply suggest that people use CertGuard's CertSearch tool to verify whether a study tool is legit or not?

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by Neil

Phew! Now if anyone uses anything else besides those listed above, then *most likely* its ILLEGAL!

A bold statement there mate, perhaps revise it as there is lots of legit Network+ material out there you havent referenced.

[Neil]

Didn't mean it that way mates. I guess I shouldn't have worded it *that* way.

I stated "most likely", because the stuff I listed are by far the most used and referenced in the forum......I *did* mention that I left out other legit stuff.

Anyways, I edited the post and also included the names BosonMichael mentioned......thanks! I also included a link to CertGuard to verify study material.

To BosonMichael:
When I checked the Network+ section of Boson's site, the only resource I saw for the current N10-003 exam was a 5-day course (dunno if its online or not). The practise exams only covered N10-002! I tried a few times and the same thing came up. So is that all, or did I miss other resources from Boson? Otherwise they need to update their Network+ section.

Thanks again guys!

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

I stated "most likely", because the stuff I listed are by far the most used and referenced in the forum......I *did* mention that I left out other legit stuff.

True... but why leave that to question? Certainly people *might* encounter braindump stuff... but the names you left out weren't "small time" companies... and it's very likely that people will run into the legit stuff based on their good name alone.

Just sayin'.

Thanks for changing your post.

Originally Posted by Neil

To BosonMichael:
When I checked the Network+ section of Boson's site, the only resource I saw for the current N10-003 exam was a 5-day course (dunno if its online or not). The practise exams only covered N10-002! I tried a few times and the same thing came up. So is that all, or did I miss other resources from Boson? Otherwise they need to update their Network+ section.

Josh and I were hired at Boson to increase the quality of our ExSim practice exam product line, starting with our bread-and-butter, the Cisco certifications. We have done so with our new ExSim-Max line of products. By the time we cleared our plates enough to work on an ExSim-Max for Network+, the 2009 version of the exam had been announced. Therefore, we will create an ExSim-Max for the 2009 version of Network+, but not the 2007 version. Look for it earlyish next year.

The live training is in our Tampa, Florida office.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by BosonMichael

Thanks for changing your post.

No prob.

PS: If anyone knows of some good legit freebies, then post up!

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

No prob.

PS: If anyone knows of some good legit freebies, then post up!

Good AND legit AND free? Where's my laughing emoticon?

Sorry... I don't think it exists. Good and legit and expensive, definitely. Good and illegal and free, yep. Mediocre and legit and free, perhaps. But good and legit and free? Unless you're independently wealthy and don't need to work, it's hard to invest the amount of time to required to create something truly **good** without making money from it.

Quality takes time.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by BosonMichael

Good AND legit AND free? Where's my laughing emoticon?

Sorry... I don't think it exists. Good and legit and expensive, definitely. Good and illegal and free, yep. Mediocre and legit and free, perhaps. But good and legit and free? Unless you're independently wealthy and don't need to work, it's hard to invest the amount of time to required to create something truly **good** without making money from it.

Quality takes time.

What about CramSession? Everyone says they're free and good........haven't used it myself (hence it listed in italics). But alot of people here admitted using CramSession for study and revision. I had heard of CramSession, but never knew it was free, I just decided to purchase the Sybex since most people say it was all you needed to study. However, even though CramSession offers "good, legit and free" study guides, they make money off of ads, vouchers and other services they provide. They're not up and running wholly and soley to *just* provide free guides.

There's a page on their site that explains how they create a study guide.........searching right now but can't find it. Anyways what I'm saying is that, if there are places like CramSession that offers free material, but still make a profit in other areas, then I'm *guessing/assuming* there are more sites like that. Just as how someone in here made free videos on how to set up a RIS, then I'm also guessing that there are other good, free and legit material like that around for the Network+. Just my 2 cents.

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

What about CramSession? Everyone says they're free and good........haven't used it myself (hence it listed in italics). But alot of people here admitted using CramSession for study and revision. I had heard of CramSession, but never knew it was free, I just decided to purchase the Sybex since most people say it was all you needed to study. However, even though CramSession offers "good, legit and free" study guides, they make money off of ads, vouchers and other services they provide. They're not up and running wholly and soley to *just* provide free guides.

Because Cramsession is a marketing arm for PrepLogic. They're written in order to drive you towards PrepLogic's ads so you'll buy their products. So, you are correct that their (small) study guides are indirectly funded through advertising.

I've used Cramsession's study guides before, and no offense to the fine, intelligent people who wrote them (some of whom I know personally), I didn't care for them too much because they really didn't go into a lot of detail. There's plenty of sources that offer a few pages of exam notes out there on the Web.

Originally Posted by Neil

There's a page on their site that explains how they create a study guide.........searching right now but can't find it. Anyways what I'm saying is that, if there are places like CramSession that offers free material, but still make a profit in other areas, then I'm *guessing/assuming* there are more sites like that. Just as how someone in here made free videos on how to set up a RIS, then I'm also guessing that there are other good, free and legit material like that around for the Network+. Just my 2 cents.

Could be... but how much effort goes into making a free product as opposed to making a "for sale" product - one in which people do nothing but work on that product in order to make a living off of it? Which one do you think is going to be the better product?

I know first-hand how much time and effort it takes to write a practice exam product, an "exam notes" study guide, and a book, because I've written all three. It takes time to do it right. If you don't take the time - which is VERY difficult to do when you're not generating any revenue - then it will be FULL of technical errors and logic flaws and gaps in explanations. EVERY first draft of a product is. If it weren't full of errors, we wouldn't spend the time putting our products through a time-consuming editing process - we'd just slap it out there on the Web.

My career is too valuable to trust it to free products - I want to learn things the right way the first time. Don't misunderstand me - you CAN learn using those free products... but you can also learn misinformation from free products as well.

As always, the advice is freely offered - you can take it or ignore it as you wish.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by BosonMichael

Because Cramsession is a marketing arm for PrepLogic. They're written in order to drive you towards PrepLogic's ads so you'll buy their products.

I see...... No wonder there's so much PrepLogic ads there.....

I've used Cramsession's study guides before, and no offense to the fine, intelligent people who wrote them (some of whom I know personally), I didn't care for them too much because they really didn't go into a lot of detail.

I've never used them......didn't even know they were free either! But I'll check out their Security+ guide, cuz I got nothing to lose.

There's plenty of sources that offer a few pages of exam notes out there on the Web.

That's my point exactly: post up their links. Someone else's method of explaination may be helpful to others who have trouble understanding certain topics and concepts.

I know first-hand how much time and effort it takes to write a practice exam product, an "exam notes" study guide, and a book, because I've written all three. It takes time to do it right. If you don't take the time - which is VERY difficult to do when you're not generating any revenue - then it will be FULL of technical errors and logic flaws and gaps in explanations. EVERY first draft of a product is. If it weren't full of errors, we wouldn't spend the time putting our products through a time-consuming editing process - we'd just slap it out there on the Web.

Yea, you got a point there.

Oh and your second quote wasn't made by "derkit" Typo, typo

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

That's my point exactly: post up their links. Someone else's method of explaination may be helpful to others who have trouble understanding certain topics and concepts.

When I find any that are worthy of mentioning that are better than what can be purchased (which you SHOULD be studying as a primary reference, anyway), I will. Why reinvent the wheel?

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

Oh and your second quote wasn't made by "derkit" Typo, typo

See? That illustrates my point exactly. Nobody's perfect; otherwise, we wouldn't need editors.

Fixed!

[Neil]

Originally Posted by BosonMichael

See? That illustrates my point exactly. Nobody's perfect; otherwise, we wouldn't need editors.

Fixed!

True. That's why you should expect BETTER from commercial (people who get paid to do their job) publishers such as Sybex.......I came across alot of typos in their Net+ book. I mean, a simple spell checker in their word processor would've highlighted them all......and I guessed they probably used it, I don't know.

But since you're knowledgable in this field, then I guess you could help me out here: How can a final manuscript pass through a series of editing (from a commercial publisher), and still have typos?

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by Neil

True. That's why you should expect BETTER from commercial (people who get paid to do their job) publishers such as Sybex.......I came across alot of typos in their Net+ book. I mean, a simple spell checker in their word processor would've highlighted them all......and I guessed they probably used it, I don't know.

But since you're knowledgable in this field, then I guess you could help me out here: How can a final manuscript pass through a series of editing (from a commercial publisher), and still have typos?

The way that it usually happens: lack of attention to detail. Dude, I got back VERY few edits from my Sybex editor - so few, we were quite surprised. Entire chapters went through without a single comment from the technical editor.

True story: we were asked to review a PDF scan of the final draft... and while re-reading what I wrote, I found a half-completed sentence... it just trailed off like

...that. And that had, supposedly, gone through at least TWO edits.

If a company wants to create the best quality stuff, the have to, have to, HAVE to put in the effort. High quality stuff doesn't just happen - it takes work, and that's what I'm committed to providing. Most companies would rather cut corners... and when the companies don't cut corners, their employees are the ones who cut the corners. In Sybex's case, there WAS a tech AND an editor assigned, so the company itself took reasonable efforts... but the editors simply didn't pay enough attention to detail.

Not trying to single out only Sybex, because they aren't the only company who doesn't catch this stuff... I've worked with another practice exam provider who also cut corners where quality was concerned, and their product suffers (in my opinion) because of it.

[digital7]

First I'll say hello as a new member to the forums! Thanks for creating a forum to discuss IT certs. I am currently looking at getting a Network+ cert to expand my education and fill my CV. I have been working in IT for 6 years and currently am a Network Tech.

From my understanding and resarch there is a 2007 Net+ test and a soon to be NEt+ 2009 test. All the materials mentioned refer to 2005, correct? Is there an material that is trustworthy for 2007 test? I have read reviews on Mike Meyers' books that 2005 editions were not as helpful for 2007 tests. Can I get some direction from you fine folks?

Thanks!