finding it heavy going

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just started studying for network + and to be honest am finding it heavy going compared to the A+ i recently did.. got AIO book and i’m only a couple of chapter into it. so does it get easier and all fall into place or is it just simply much harder?

cheers

 

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There are certainly some concepts covered on the Net+ that can be difficult to get your head around especially if you don't have much networking experience. Subnetting comes to mind and things like routing protocols and spanning tree can be difficult even though Net+ only covers the basics.

I don't think it's much harder than A+ though. I find that if I'm having trouble getting through the text on something it helps to watch a video. There's always cbtnuggets, trainsignal, etc... but with net+ you can also take advantage of the free videos at www.professormesser.com/

 

Keep at it, I struggled at the start of N+ study, but all of a sudden I got it, once you start understanding networks it opens a whole new world of study!

 

ta chaps going keep going and fingers crossed it will get better

 

N+ has a lot of crossover (no pun intended) knowledge with A+ and yes it can seem daunting. Take the time to absorb and scrutinise one subject at a time and learn to recognise their application into the bigger picture. N+ has proved invaluable in my career thus far and the knowldege learnt from it applies to my job every day. Passing a CompTIA exam should never be regarded as a race , take your time , feel absolutely confident and comfortable with your studies and THEN book your exam.

Don't despair, take a deep breath and look at the subjects you've been struggling with with new vigour. Google is your friend , never forget that ....

In the meantime if you need help and advice then please feel free to ask anyone here , and don't at any time think a question is 'stupid' or 'unreasonable' (within reason naturally ), we are here to share our knowledge with those that require it and without asking you may never know !

 

have to agree with OP, its tough going for me also, but then networks is a new concept to me.

Been stuck in the subnetting chapter for about 2 weeks now ( heavy work commitments at the mo), and while it is baffling, Im slowly getting the gist. But no pain, no gain I guess.

 

When doing my HNC i struggled to understand what many would consider the basic of network , like whats the point of a subnet mask and default gateway, looking back now it's so obvious, but at the time my lecturer just didnt get it across to me in a way I could understand. Then when i went on to study my HND it all fell into place pretty quickly (different lecturer).

You should maybe post what it is you are struggling to understand, sometimes all it takes is looking at it from a different perspective.

 

Im finding some of the chapters heavy going aswell, been reading for around 4-5weeks and am at chapter 12, found the first few chapters ok, found its got harder the further on i've gone. I already had some knowledge of the first few chapters, probably why i found it ok, however since like chapter 7 i think i know im gonna have to re read 2 or 3 more times. But yeah its def getting harder the further in i get.

 

it might be the book maybe it doesn't suit the way i study.. i did struggle with the AIO A+ book and once i found another source instead it all went fine. have only covered the first couple of chapters but the context just seems to go round the houses to explain everything would much rather just get to the point if you know what i mean?
and find it rather difficult to make notes from..
but thanks all, will continue all the same.

 

it is pain in the back side for me as well, as I prefer to learn by doing than reading, so I keep buying myself cheap things, like cheap switch, cables, crimper, RJ45 etc, plus I watch professor Messer, on google I found comptia N+ tables, and except AIO I bought N+ Passport, I am reading AIO second time and it gets easier, but still hard when you read lots of shortcuts like RC4 etc without working with it, after second time of reading AIO I will read N+ Passport, hopefully it will help to attend exams in 5-6 weeks

 

You might take a look at the book by Lammle. That did it for me.

 

I did test from AIO's CD and got 54% - very, very bad :/

 

Masruiz, that's about what I got too on the AiO CD. But if it makes you feel any better, I passed yesterday. Not by tons and tons, but I passed.

The key is really making sure you read ALL parts of the AiO book and give equal focus to all topics. I was convinced certain topics would be focused on more than others, so I sorta neglected a few in my last-minute cram sessions. Luckily I passed, but if I had just devoted equal time to everything in the book, I would have been more well-rounded.

(Sorry I'm not saying specific topics, but I don't think that would do any good because everyone's test is different)

 

Felt the same way when I was doing the 70-291 exam... I would take a break for a day or two and come back with a fresh mind. The trick is to keep at it, don't think of it as how much time you spend on one topic, it's a matter of learning the material at your own pace and fully understanding. As you progress things will become easier and easier.

 

I would read the book all the way through first. Make sure you understand the concepts but don't get bogged down on something you find difficult, sometimes it all becomes clear when you read later chapters and sometimes your brain just needs a bit of time to sort things out on its own.
When you go through the book again, you'll have a much better idea of what you need to take notes on and what is just accompanying waffle to help you understand things.

 

got the mike meyers comptia network+ certification passport book today, and just had a quick look through and it seems alright. straight to the point with no going round the houses, hopefully it will suit me better than the AIO.
so is this book alone ok for studying for network + exam? has anyone else used just this before?

 

NO!

Its very good but its useful only as a final revision guide, a lot of the topics aren't covered in enough depth to help you nail the exam unless you already know them.

 

I've re-read the chapters on encryption in both the sybex and mike meyers books.. so many little details to remember for so many different standards and applications!

anyone have any good study methods to crack encryption?

 

I quite liked the AIO book if you understand it you will be able to pass N+ easily it provides more information than you need to pass the exam. I also looked at the CBT Nuggets videos but i did not like them for N+, ccent (icnd1) covers nearly the same material and the CBT nuggets for this are great. However there will be alot of cisco router config you will not need to know. It might be worth studying the 2 certs side by side for the cost of an extra couple of books it would be good use of your time.

 

Actually, it doesn't. Or, if the product from CBT Nuggets does, it shouldn't. They're two different exams, with two different sets of objectives, for two different audiences at two different skill levels.