From N10-008 to N10-009: What's New And Also Spanning Tree Protocols

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Ready to ace the new CompTIA Network Plus exam, N10-009? Discover the game-changing updates and crucial differences from the N10-008, and learn how to sharpen your skills on modern tech like SD-WAN, 5G, and cloud architecture. We'll guide you through the exam's enhanced focus on practical troubleshooting and real-world scenarios. Plus, get insider tips and recommended resources to ensure you’re studying smart with the most current materials and hands-on experience. We're also celebrating our students' recent successes with their Security Plus exams, offering motivation to keep you driven and determined.

In another exciting segment, we reflect on our popular Spanish-language episode that resonated with a younger audience, promising future episodes in English to widen our reach. By revisiting key topics like the new network exam and rapid spanning tree protocols, we ensure that all our listeners can benefit from the insights shared. Join us for an engaging and informative discussion designed to keep you ahead in the fast-evolving world of networking and certification. This episode is packed with valuable content you won't want to miss!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Thank you and welcome to technology tap.
I'm professor j rod.
In this episode we'll talkabout the new comptia network
plus exam and also we'll talk alittle bit about spanning tree
protocols.
Let's it all right.

(01:08):
Welcome back, guys.
Hope you're having a beautifulsummer.
Summer already started schoolsout officially here on the east
coast, so the high schoolers areout, though I did see some in
my local high school.
Uh, teachers parking lot waspacked so I guess they're still
working anyway.

(01:29):
Uh, let's talk about the newnetwork plus exam, uh, which is
called the 10, officially calledn10-009.
It's the latest version ofCompTIA's Network Plus
certification and it's replacingthe 008 exam.
Both exams cover fundamentalnetworking skills but they are

(01:52):
different in content, emphasis,structure and updates to reflect
current industry practices andtechnologies.
Let's compare the two.
So for the Network Plus 9, nine, network fundamentals makes up
24%.
Network implementation is 19.
Network operations, 16.

(02:12):
Security, 19.
Troubleshooting, 22.
We're in the 008.
Network fundamentals cover 20%Implementations, 25.
Operations, 20.
Security, 20.
Troubleshooting is 15%.
So more emphasis ontroubleshooting and fundamentals
than anything else.
That has gone up.
Implementation has gone down 6%.

(02:35):
Operations has gone down 4%.
Even security, which I'm alittle surprised, went down 1%.
So what are the updated context, new technologies, trends and
the Network Plus exam.
Number nine includes updatedcontent on emerging technologies
such as SD-WAN, 5g and advancednetwork security techniques.

(02:55):
Cloud and virtualization bothexams cover a cloud concept, but
nine has more emphasis onmodern cloud architecture and
virtualizations techniques.
Security while both covernetwork security, nine includes
updated content on securitypractices such as zero trust
models and newer securityprotocols.

(03:18):
Network implementations focuson more practical
implementations, includingconfiguring and managing network
devices and understandingwireless networks.
Eight had a broader focus ontheoretical aspects and basic
configurations, networktroubleshooting, greater

(03:38):
emphasis on the practicaltroubleshooting skills using
contemporary tools and methodtroubleshooting skills using
contemporary tools and method,while eight included uh
foundational troubleshooting,but with less focus on hands-on
real world scenarios compared tonumber nine.
So I see that as a good thingif they're gonna uh have more
real life scenarios in the exam,because that's what you know

(04:01):
employers are looking for thatand even the students they.
You know employers are lookingfor that and even the students
you know they want to, you knowbe able to study that so that
way they can, you know, use itin real life and on the exam.
So that's pretty good.
Exam format and difficulty Bothexams have a similar format,
including multiple choicequestions, drag and drop
activities and performance-basedsimulations, or the pbqs as we

(04:25):
call it.
However, nine may have updated.
May have updated scenarios andsimulations to reflect current
industry environments, industrystandards and protocols.
Nine reflects the latestindustry standards and best
practice, ensuring thatcertified individuals are up to
date with the current networktechnologies and protocol.

(04:46):
While aid is still relevant,some standards and practice
cover might be slightly outdatedcompared to number nine.
Preparing for the exam If youare deciding which exam to take
or preparing for one, considerthe following and remember I
think this one came out Juneune.
The number nine came out june20th, 2024, but they'll both run

(05:10):
parallel for six months.
So if you're studying for theeight, you can still take it.
Um, you know, I think you haveuntil maybe december, uh, to
take it.
November, november, december,I'll find out the exact date,
but you can still take it.
So if you're studying for eight, continue studying it for as
long as you're going to take theexam soon.

(05:31):
Right, don't wait too long, uh,you know to uh to take the exam
.
So, uh, study resources.
Use up-to-date study materialsspecifically designed for 9,
books, online courses, practiceexams and hands-on labs can help
focus on the new content.

(05:53):
Pay particular attention to thenew technologies and trends
covered in 9, practicalexperience gain hands-on
experience with networkingequipment and configurations, as
practical knowledge is criticalfor both exams, but it's more
emphasized in Network Plus 9.
By understanding thesedifferences and focusing on the
updated content, you can betterprepare for your Network Plus

(06:18):
exam, and that best aligns withcurrent industry standards and
practice.
So if you're planning on takingthe Network Plus exam, good
luck.
You know, I found it a littlebit more difficult, honestly,
than Security Plus.
Back when I took it, I justfelt that Security Plus was more

(06:41):
memorization than anything else.
If you knew the definitions ofa lot of stuff, you could answer
the questions Right, but youreally had to know the
definitions.
If you didn't know thedefinitions, then you were out
of luck, but if you knew thedefinitions you can.
Yeah, you can figure it out.

(07:02):
So, um, all right, before wecontinue with Wrapping Tree, I
just want to give a shout out to.
I have five of my students taketheir Security Plus exam.
A couple of weeks back and theyall um A plus course emailed me
and told me that they passedthe A plus.

(07:40):
So shout out to them.
They know who they are.
I don't know if they'relistening, but shout out to them
.
So again, listen, this is we'remaking real changes.
Right, that's my goal is, youknow, making real changes,
helping students, uh, you know,being able to help them with
this process.

(08:00):
It's not easy and then,hopefully, now they, they're
able to get jobs, good payingjobs, um, that way, you know, we
can you together.
Right, I get a free dinner, Ithink, if they get a job.
So that's part for the course,as they know.
But listen, you can do it.

(08:21):
If you're listening to this andyou're studying for the A+,
network+, security+, any exam,you can do it.
You just got to concentrate,just concentrate and you can do
it.
Have faith in yourself.
And, as I always said, you knowthe one thing, especially A
plus, the one thing that youhave to remember is if you're

(08:42):
waiting to get 100% ready, youmight never get there.
So sometimes it's just worth ashot, just the gamble, to go and
take it.
I know it's easier said thandone because the exams are
expensive, but sometimes you gotto take a chance.
You got to be take a chance onyourself, be confident in

(09:04):
yourself that, okay, I got it, Igot it.
So that's my advice to you allright?
Spanning tree protocol.
So spanning tree protocol isdesigned to prevent network
loops and ethernet networks bycreating loop free logical
topology.
It achieves this by dynamicallyidentifying and disabling

(09:28):
redundant paths and networks.
So how does it work?
There's a root bridge election.
All switches or routers in thenetwork participate in the
election of a root bridge, thecentral reference point of the
spanning tree.
The switch with the lowestbridge ID it's a combination of

(09:48):
priority and MAC address becomesthe root bridge.
So how do they?
Path cost calculation Eachswitch calculates the shortest
path to the root bridge based onpath cost, which considers
factors like bandwidth.
The election of the root bridgein the spanning tree protocol

(10:08):
is a fundamental process todetermine the central reference
point for the spanning treetopology.
Here's how the election worksBridge ID Each switch in the
network has a unique bridge IDwhich is used to determine the
root bridge.
The bridge ID consists of twoparts Bridge priority, a

(10:30):
configurable value with adefault of 32768.
Lower values have higherpriority.
Then we have the mac address,the unique hardware address of
the switch.
Those are the two bridge idparts.
So then initializationInitially, each switch assumes
itself to be the root bridge andsends out bridge protocol data

(10:53):
units, or BPDUs, with its ownbridge ID.
Switches exchange BTUs tocompare bridge ID.
Each BPDU contains the bridgeID of the switch it originated
from, along with informationabout the best path to the
current assumed root bridge.

(11:14):
When a switch receives a BPDUwith a lower bridge ID than its
own, it updates its own BPDU toreflect the lower bridge ID and
forwards this updated BPDU toits neighbors bridge id and

(11:34):
forwards this updated bpdu toits neighbors.
This process continues untilall switch agree on the switch
with the lowest bridge id, whichthen becomes the root bridge.
So, for example, if you havethree switches a, b and c and
you know I'm just gonna make upsome numbers here, so if one
it's a long, it's a long number,so I'll just give you like the
last four digits.

(11:55):
So bridge ID is a switch a, thebridge ID is 3344, switch B
bridge ID is 5566 and bridge Cbridge ID is 7788.
So if switch A, b and C startsending BPDUs, they will compare
their bridge IDs.

(12:15):
Switch A will see that has thelowest bridge ID and consider
itself the root bridge.
Switch B and switch C willreceive switch A BPDU and
recognize that switch A has alower bridge ID than theirs,
they will stop consideringthemselves as the root bridge

(12:36):
and forward switch A's BPDU.
Switch A with the lowest bridgeID is elected as the root
bridge.
All switches in the networkwill now recognize switch A as a
root bridge and adjust theirpaths accordingly.
By using the bridge ID to electthe root bridge, stp ensures a
deterministic and consistentmethod for establishing the root

(12:59):
of a spanning tree, therebymaintaining a loop free and
efficient network topology.
So that's how we determine whatthe root bridge is, right, uh,
and it's always been.
There's a video on youtube, butthe guy I forgot his name, I'll
look it up but the guyperfectly explains how the root

(13:21):
bridge works and he usesanimation for it, right, which
is a lot of ways.
Uh, makes it a lot easierbecause you, you know you
visually, you see it.
Um, but yeah, so that's how itworks.
Port roles ports are assignedroles based on their position
relative to the root bridge.
Root port the port with thelowest cost.

(13:41):
Path to the root bridge.
You have your designated port,a port that forwards traffic
towards a specific networksegment.
Block port, a port that doesnot forward frames to prevent
loops, right, and then that'swhere you, that's what helps
your network.
Bpdu exchange switches,exchange bridge protocol data

(14:05):
units to share information aboutpath calls and bridge IDs.
Bpdus help maintain and updatethe spanning tree topology and
then topology changes.
Stp can adapt to changes in thenetwork by recalculating the
spanning tree to ensureloop-free connectivity.

(14:26):
As variants of STP, you haverapid spanning tree protocol and
improvement over STP, providingfaster convergence time.
Multiple spanning tree protocolallows multiple spanning trees
to exist within a single network, enabling low balance and more
efficient use of networkresources.

(14:48):
Benefits of using STP in routerloop prevention ensures a
loop-free network topology,preventing broadcast storms and
other issues caused by loops.
Redundancy allows for redundantlinks and paths, enhancing
network resistance and faulttolerance.
Dynamic adapt adapt uh adaptionautomatically adjusts to

(15:12):
changes in network topology,maintaining optical paths for
data transmission.
By using STP and its variants,routers can effectively manage
complex network topologies,ensuring efficient and reliable
data transmissions whilepreventing potential network
failures due to loops.

(15:32):
And loops will kill you, willkill your network.
So we don't want that.
All right, we're going tocontinue on our next episode.
We're going to continue thesummer series episode.
We're going to continue thesummer series on the student
summer series on hacking.
We got a good one by a bunch ofstudents that did a really good

(15:54):
one and that one's going to bein English.
The other one, the first onethat we did, was in Spanish,
very popular, but you know, Iunderstand that most people, at
least a lot of people here don'tspeak spanish, maybe, or don't
understand spanish, so youdidn't listen to it, but it was
very popular.
Like I guess it went um, thekids sent it out to their
friends and and, uh, you know itwas, it was.

(16:16):
It was very good, but the nextone will be in english, don't
worry, and then you can listento that exciting summer series.
All right, that's going to puta bowl on this today.
I want to thank everybody forlistening and I hope you learned
something about the new networkexam and rapid spanning tree.
Until next time, thank you.