CompTIA Network+ Quick Facts (2025)

Exam Domain Breakdown

Domain 1: Networking concepts (23% of the exam)

Topic: OSI model layers
Physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, application.

Summary: This section focuses on the OSI model and its importance for networking. You will learn the purpose of each layer and how data moves through them, from the physical wire and signal all the way up to user-facing applications. Recognizing protocols and devices at each layer is a critical part of this foundation.

The summary here stresses the practical application of the OSI model in diagnosing network issues and communicating clearly with others. Expect to be tested on the relationship between layers, the function of each, and how technicians use the OSI model to isolate problems quickly.

Topic: Networking appliances
Routers, switches, firewalls, IDS/IPS, load balancers, proxies, NAS, SAN, and wireless devices.

Summary: This part dives into the diverse hardware used to build networks. You will explore how devices like switches and routers direct traffic, the role of firewalls and IDS/IPS for security, and the usage of load balancers and proxies for performance and control. Storage solutions such as NAS and SAN are also covered along with wireless components like access points.

The summary builds an understanding of which device fits which purpose, how they interact inside local and enterprise networks, and how these appliances contribute to performance, resilience, and security of overall infrastructure. Knowing functions and placement is emphasized.

Topic: Cloud concepts
NFV, VPC, network security groups, cloud gateways, deployment models (public, private, hybrid), service models (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS).

Summary: This topic introduces core cloud networking ideas and how traditional infrastructure extends into cloud environments. You will learn about virtualization of network functions, cloud networks such as VPCs, and protections provided by security groups and gateways.

The emphasis is on integrating network knowledge with emerging technologies. You will gain awareness of service models like SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS, and how those affect architecture decisions. Deployment models—public, private, and hybrid—are compared to highlight flexibility and scalability choices.

Topic: Ports and protocols
FTP, SFTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP, RDP, SIP.

Summary: This area ensures you know the standard ports and services that underpin communication. You'll focus on what each common protocol does, when it is used, and which ports they are associated with.

The summary highlights how this knowledge is critical for both configuring systems and troubleshooting. Being able to recognize traffic flows and secure them appropriately is a key skill, as well as relating applications to the underlying protocols they rely on.

Topic: Traffic types
Unicast, multicast, anycast, broadcast.

Summary: Here you will compare the types of data transmission methods used across networks. Each has distinct use cases, whether it’s sending to one device, multiple, the nearest, or everyone.

Recognizing these differences will help you design and implement efficient communication strategies. The focus is not only on defining the terms but also applying them to scenarios such as multimedia streaming or routing in distributed networks.

Topic: Transmission media
Wireless (802.11, cellular, satellite), wired (fiber, coaxial, DAC).

Summary: This section covers the components and characteristics of the physical media that carry signals. You will explore wireless standards, fiber optics, coaxial cabling, and newer direct attach options, learning performance limits and advantages of each.

In practice, understanding these media types helps ensure reliable, fast, and secure connectivity. This knowledge spans deployment design as well as troubleshooting, where recognizing attenuation, interference, or bandwidth capabilities proves valuable.

Topic: Transceivers and connectors
SC, LC, ST, MPO, RJ11, RJ45, F-type, BNC.

Summary: Transceivers and connectors form the physical interface of networks. This section ensures you can identify types of fiber and copper connectors and how they are used in different applications.

You will also learn compatibility considerations and best practices for preventing errors during installation. Expect to be confident in recognition, purpose, and usage of each connector in both wired and optical systems.

Topic: Network topologies
Mesh, hybrid, star/hub and spoke, spine and leaf, point-to-point, three-tier, and collapsed core.

Summary: Network topologies determine how devices are physically and logically arranged. You will gain familiarity with classic and modern designs, from traditional hub and spoke layouts to data center-focused spine and leaf architectures.

The summary reviews how topologies affect scalability, resilience, and performance. Understanding each layout allows you to match designs to the demands of environments like small office networks versus enterprise-scale infrastructures.

Topic: IPv4 addressing
Public vs. private, APIPA, RFC1918, loopback, subnetting (VLSM, CIDR), and address classes (A, B, C, D, E).

Summary: This topic walks through IPv4 fundamentals. You will learn address classes, subnetting strategies, special ranges like APIPA and loopback, and how to distinguish public from private blocks.

Practical skills include calculating subnets, applying CIDR and VLSM, and justifying address plans. A solid understanding of IPv4 addressing ensures proper configuration, resource efficiency, and clear planning of networks large and small.

Domain 2: Network implementation (20% of the exam)

Topic: Routing technologies
Static and dynamic routing (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF), route selection, NAT, PAT, FHRP, VIP, and subinterfaces.

Summary: This section emphasizes the principles of routing and how packets move between networks. You'll learn the differences between static and dynamic routing protocols like OSPF and BGP and explore how NAT and PAT translate addresses.

The summary highlights how routing supports redundancy and scalability. You’ll be familiar with subinterfaces and concepts such as FHRP and VIPs, which keep networks resilient and available for continuous communication.

Topic: Switching technologies
VLANs, interface configuration, spanning tree, MTU, and jumbo frames.

Summary: Here you’ll cover how switching connects devices and manages traffic flows inside networks. VLANs are central to segmenting traffic, and spanning tree is explored in preventing loops.

Summaries reinforce configuring interfaces, tuning frame sizes for efficiency, and understanding what technologies best protect and optimize layer 2 traffic. Proficiency here ensures scalable, orderly network structures.

Topic: Wireless devices
Channels, frequency options, SSID, network types, encryption, guest networks, authentication, antennas, and access points.

Summary: This section looks at the wireless side of modern networking, including spectrum usage, channels, and SSID configuration. You’ll become familiar with antenna choices and the features of wireless access points.

Expect to understand how security options, authentication settings, and guest networks all combine to enable safe, reliable wireless environments. Exam questions will emphasize aligning technology choices with performance and security needs.

Topic: Physical installations
Installation implications, power considerations, and environmental factors.

Summary: This portion emphasizes the critical role physical installation plays in network performance and reliability. Proper planning ensures equipment runs with the power, cooling, and support it requires.

The summary points to best practices, from cabling routes and racks to ventilation and safety. By knowing these guidelines, you prevent downtime and extend the life of networking assets.

Domain 3: Network operations (19% of the exam)

Topic: Documentation
Physical vs. logical diagrams, rack diagrams, cable maps, network diagrams, asset inventory, IPAM, SLA, and wireless surveys.

Summary: Documentation is foundational for visibility and planning. Here you’ll differentiate between types of diagrams and records, making sense of physical, logical, and wireless documentation.

Summaries highlight the importance of asset inventories and service-level agreements—it’s about making sure that every component and commitment in the network is visible and tracked properly.

Topic: Life-cycle management
EOL, EOS, software management, and decommissioning.

Summary: Network equipment and software pass through natural life cycles, and this section explores how to manage devices from acquisition to retirement. Understanding EOL and EOS stages ensures continuity and support.

Summaries emphasize keeping systems current, planning for transitions, and decommissioning equipment responsibly. You’ll come away with strategies to maintain a secure, up-to-date environment.

Topic: Change management
Request process tracking.

Summary: Change management ensures stability while improving networks. This section walks you through the formal request processes that allow organizations to handle updates without disruption.

Summaries emphasize how documentation and approvals reduce risks while keeping stakeholders aligned. This builds a culture of accountability and smooth operations across network teams.

Topic: Configuration management
Production, backup, baseline configurations.

Summary: You’ll explore approaches for managing configurations in a structured way, including backups and baselines. These help keep production environments stable and predictable.

Summaries stress why consistency is vital: standardized configurations avoid mismatches, and backups allow quick recovery. This area is strongly tied to reliability and business continuity.

Topic: Network monitoring
SNMP, flow data, packet capture, baseline metrics, log aggregation, API integration, and port mirroring.

Summary: Monitoring tools make networks transparent. This section covers everything from SNMP and flow data to capturing packets, building baselines, and using aggregated logs.

The summary underlines that active monitoring means proactive management. You’ll understand how to use these tools to improve performance, detect anomalies, and maintain high availability.

Topic: Disaster recovery
RPO, RTO, MTTR, MTBF, cold/warm/hot sites, active-active/passive, and testing.

Summary: Disaster recovery ensures business continuation. Here you’ll engage with recovery metrics like RPO and RTO and strategies for deploying backup sites in varied forms.

Summaries focus on readiness: planning, testing, and designing systems that minimize downtime. Practicing scenarios ensures organizations can rapidly bounce back when incidents occur.

Topic: Network services
DHCP, SLAAC, DNS, NTP, PTP, and NTS.

Summary: Core network services keep operations running smoothly. This section reviews how IP addressing, domain resolution, and time synchronization enable connectivity and precision.

Summaries strengthen your comprehension of why these services matter daily. They form the invisible backbone of reliable communication and scheduling across systems worldwide.

Topic: Access and management
VPNs, SSH, GUI, API, and console.

Summary: This section highlights tools for securely accessing and managing networks. Options range from SSH and VPNs to graphical consoles and API integrations.

The summary reinforces practical comparisons: choose the right interface based on context, balancing security and convenience. These methods support resilience and protect critical network assets.

Domain 4: Network security (14% of the exam)

Topic: 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.

Summary: Logical security is the guardrail for network resilience. This section introduces topics from encryption and PKI through IAM, MFA, and SSO. You will map technologies to their enterprise uses.

Summaries extend to access control and geofencing, showing that logical policies reinforce physical protections. You will learn why balancing ease of access with robust defense is essential.

Topic: Physical security
Cameras and locks.

Summary: Strong network security also means protecting hardware. This section reviews physical barriers like locks and surveillance.

Summaries make clear why these protections are complementary—you can design the strongest system but it is only safe when the physical environment is secure.

Topic: Deception technologies
Honeypot and honeynet.

Summary: This area explores deceptive defenses. Honeypots and honeynets are used to lure adversaries, learning from attacks without risking production systems.

Summaries point out how such strategies both detect and delay threats. Understanding the basics positions you to recognize uses and benefits in monitored environments.

Topic: Security terminology
Risk, vulnerability, exploit, threat, and CIA triad.

Summary: This section digs into vocabulary. You will define key terms like risk and exploit and review the CIA triad of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Summaries stress that clarity in terms leads to precision in communication. On the exam, this ensures you interpret scenarios correctly.

Topic: Audits and compliance
Data locality, PCI DSS, and GDPR.

Summary: Compliance frames how organizations handle information. This section introduces standards like PCI DSS for financial data and GDPR for personal information.

Summaries emphasize that audits track and validate policies, giving organizations and customers confidence. Understanding how these regulations shape networks is an exam priority.

Topic: Network segmentation
IoT, IIoT, SCADA, ICS, OT, guest, and BYOD.

Summary: Segmentation keeps networks organized and safer. Here you’ll review how industrial systems, IoT devices, and guest networks are separated logically.

Summaries reinforce secure design—limiting access by user or device type minimizes exposure. This skill proves vital for protecting unpredictable devices or environments.

Topic: 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).

Summary: This section takes you into attack methods. From technical manipulation like MAC flooding to socially driven exploits, you’ll learn how malicious actors operate.

Summaries point to the vital takeaway: recognizing attacks early gives time and strategy to defend. By knowing terms and symptoms, you safeguard critical infrastructures.

Topic: Security features and defense
Device hardening, NAC, key management, ACL, URL/content filtering, trusted vs. untrusted zones, and screened subnet.

Summary: Defensive strategies make networks resilient. You will find out how NAC verifies devices, ACLs restrict traffic, filtering protects from harmful content, and zoning isolates sensitive data.

Summaries illustrate how these measures combine into layered defense. Exam questions will emphasize knowing when to apply techniques appropriately.

Domain 5: Network troubleshooting (24% of the exam)

Topic: Troubleshooting methodology
Identifying the problem, establishing a theory, testing, planning, and implementing a solution, verifying functionality, and documenting findings.

Summary: Troubleshooting is systematic analysis. This section introduces a repeatable methodology for identifying and resolving issues in orderly steps.

Summaries describe why documenting solutions closes the feedback loop, ensuring knowledge grows within the team. By following these steps, you create consistent help that scales.

Topic: 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).

Summary: This part revisits physical network health. Recognizing signs like degraded signals, mismatched transceivers, or wrong cable types keeps things running.

Summaries note how exam problems often disguise flaws in installation or cable choice. Careful attention to details ensures solid foundations.

Topic: 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.

Summary: Core services must function properly. This section reminds you to look at switching and routing first when users face connection errors.

Summaries emphasize addressing misconfigurations quickly, from ACLs to IP pools. It highlights your role in maintaining consistent, available services.

Topic: Performance issues
Congestion, latency, packet loss, and wireless interference.

Summary: Performance shapes user experience. Recognize when congestion, packet loss, or environmental wireless effects cause slowdowns.

Summaries focus on solutions: monitoring metrics, adjusting equipment, or improving design. This builds strategies that keep networks smooth.

Topic: Tools and protocols
Protocol analyzers, command line tools, cable testers, and Wi-Fi analyzers.

Summary: Tools empower troubleshooting. From command line utilities to protocol analyzers, you will see how to pinpoint issues quickly.

Summaries underline the need to choose tools wisely, based on scenario and network scope. Exam scenarios will expect you to know which tool fits the objective.