dynamik wrote: » You're able to learn anything through self-study. IT is actually a lot easier than some other fields; you don't need to convince anyone to let you experiment operating on them Seriously though, I've done everything (with the exception of the mandatory VCP course) through self-study. It all depends on your motivation and your learning style. If you're struggling that much with the Network+ material, you may want to take a course for the CCNA. It makes the Network+ look like a walk in the park. Having said that, I think you should give yourself a decent amount of time to adequately absorp the material. What seems extremely complex today will seem blatantly obvious a week later. Don't get discouraged so quickly. Welcome to the forums
brownhorse wrote: » Just bought this Network+ book by Todd Lammle, Publisher Cybex. Finished chapter 1 with all topologies and now on chap 2 OSI MODEL. i can't take it anymore.. is it just me getting head aches with remember what each layers does and what they are? I read it over four times and still can't seem to memorize their functionality. Its really giving me a headache. Is MCSA self teachable or do I need to go a training school? Please help.. Thanks in advance!!
knwminus wrote: » I think the MCSA is self teachable (at least I hope ). The Net + is harder than the A+ but studying this CCNA stuff is on another level. Just work at it, and it will come to you. I have been self studying for the CCNA for about 2 months and plan to take it on the 26th, to be honest i did not know nearly as much about networking as I thought I did. I think the N+ gave me a false since of confidence ( I did pretty well on it ). Just focus on knocking down the material and it should come to you. I know net engineers who can't even name the layers of the OSI (scary). May I ask why you did you MCP before you Net+ and what you MCP is on?
TravR1 wrote: » I'm sure the XP exam is more difficult. I was the same way with the OSI layer. Now I use OSI without even thinking about it. Just start by learning half the layer, then take it from there. Learn layers 1 - 4, and don't look at 5-7 at all until you understand 1 - 4 all the way. Layer one is cords, and bit sychronization.. the electric bursts on the wire, and that's it. Repeaters are on this level because it doesn't do anything with the frames, it just relays the bursts. Layer Two: MAC ID's. Layer two devices can route info on a LAN within the subnets, but that's it. So you have moved from level 1 relaying only, to getting just a little more smart, and it can use the MAC ID to route packets between computers on the local lan. Switches are on this layer, bridges too. But if you want to send packets to other subnets, or use the internet, you need to move up to layer 3. Layer 3: is IP addressing and routing. Now you are in the internet. The router is on this layer. It can pass packets between subnets and the internet because it can look at the layer 3 addressing, the IP packet and resolve a path to send the data that way. Then a connection needs to be established to send the data there... for that you need layer 4. Layer 4: Is TCP and UDP. These protocols negotiate connections between the routers and pass the data. Once the IP addressing in layer is worked out, layer 4 takes over and establishes the connection and ACK's between the computers and negotiates how the data will be transfered and ensures that all the data was passes correctly if you are using TCP. So that's all Layer 4 does. Any protocol that has the purpose of negotiating connections and passing of data is a layer 4 protocol. I hoped that helped.
