Network+ Calculator Question

Hi Everyone,

My mind feels like a dry sponge right now. I am starting to panic a little about the test. I used Exam Cram, Sybex Todd Lamle book, Professor Messer's videos and anything else I could find. My test is in 2 weeks.

When you take the Netowrk+ are you able to use on onscreen calculator? If so, is it in scientific form so that I could type in 240 and then click the binary radio button and get 11110000 for example?

On the test do they expect you to do the manual binary conversion? When studying and taking practice tests I have been using my windows calc in scientific mode. Is that calc going to be there on the comp when we are taking the test?

Thanks!

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Souljacker

I don't believe we are able to use any sort of calculator for any of the exams. Binary to Decimal conversions aren't that hard though - just remember the number 128 at the left, and half it all the way down. You then have the formula for converting any individual number to its binary equivalent.

Take the number, and subtract starting from the left, putting a 1 in each column you can actually subtract from until you have a second column of 1's, and there's your binary number.

Your column will look like

128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

Do the math directly below
Starting number 240 -

240-128=112
112-64=48
48-32=16
16-16=0

11110000 = 240

I'd say put away the calculator and start practicing doing it by hand. Just look at the bright side - when you have passed the Net+ you can go back to the easy breezy way (real world way) of doing it!

Priston

Whats a calculator? Never seen or used one before.

Excellent1

byten wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

My mind feels like a dry sponge right now. I am starting to panic a little about the test. I used Exam Cram, Sybex Todd Lamle book, Professor Messer's videos and anything else I could find. My test is in 2 weeks.

When you take the Netowrk+ are you able to use on onscreen calculator? If so, is it in scientific form so that I could type in 240 and then click the binary radio button and get 11110000 for example?

On the test do they expect you to do the manual binary conversion? When studying and taking practice tests I have been using my windows calc in scientific mode. Is that calc going to be there on the comp when we are taking the test?

Thanks!

I had several questions that required me to either convert or be able to tell by looking at the binary number which IP address was correct. As Souljacker posted, this is really a simple conversion once you run through it a couple times.

Just practice it a few times and you'll have no problem with it. When I sat my exam, I used one of the dry-erase sheets to make the 8 bit chart and kept it handy for quickly jotting out any conversions necessary.

Best of luck with the exam.

byten

Thanks for this advice...last night I got my dry-erase board out and started to do things no-calculator. It wasn't so bad.....there is still a lot to memorize and get better at....I will post in another couple of weeks after my test.....if I pass (i think i would be embarassed to post that I failed!

Next on my list..

Memorize all the 802.1....802.n standards
memorize which cabling goes with which connector, especially fiber....
Memorize WAN technologies and their speeds....and anything else I can get into my head....

TheSuperRuski

The technique Excellent1 described is what i`ve used as well. As soon as you sit for the exam, jot down the things you will need to remember for certain questions like the binary to hex and vice versa formula, subnetting numbers and maybe even the WAN technologies and their speeds.

Paperlantern

I took this a step further and memorized a table for subnetting. The standard binary 128 64 32... etc, then the /xx notation for each, and how many clients and networks were with each notation... i studied the chart for about 15 minutes one night and found the pattern so that i was able to just spew it back onto a piece of paper.

It didn't help at all, LOL. I had virtually no subnetting questions. The closest i came was they presented me with an IP and asked if it was classless, or classful.

TheSuperRuski

Paperlantern wrote: »

I took this a step further and memorized a table for subnetting. The standard binary 128 64 32... etc, then the /xx notation for each, and how many clients and networks were with each notation... i studied the chart for about 15 minutes one night and found the pattern so that i was able to just spew it back onto a piece of paper.

It didn't help at all, LOL. I had virtually no subnetting questions. The closest i came was they presented me with an IP and asked if it was classless, or classful.

Sadly enough, that was my situation as well. I didnt get any conversion questions. Closest i came was "which class is this ip address?"

byten

Yes, that is also my fear, that I will spend time on all this memorizing and get no questions on what I memorized...

I like the subnetting problems that the Network+ Sybex book by Lammel gives.

I think the fear and uncertainty about this test is what caused me to study as long as I have. I also feel the need to look deeper into the standards etc. I got distracted and was curious as to why 802.13 and 802.14 standards were not listed in book so I wiki'd them.

Now I need to memorize which Lucent fiber connector is used with which fiber cable.

One thing for sure is, I feel like I would like to get a good University level text book on Neworking that would help me get deeper than Network+ did (I will of course read it after Network+!).

Does anyone know which is the highest caliber University level text book on networking?

phonetic.man

Paperlantern wrote: »

It didn't help at all, LOL. I had virtually no subnetting questions. The closest i came was they presented me with an IP and asked if it was classless, or classful.

I had a similar experience. I practiced subnetting for a few hours and ended up with no questions about it at all. It was good practice though for when I started the CCNA material. I would just focus on the address classes and save the subnetting for higher level material.

Both testing centers I have been in only allow a laminated sheet of paper/dry erase pen. Kinda strange considering that IRL nobody is going to hunt you down and say "No calculator for you" but it is what it is.