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

Summer already started schools out officially here on the east coast , so the high schoolers are out , though I did see some in my local high school . Uh , teachers parking lot was packed so I guess they're still working anyway . Uh , let's talk about the new network plus exam , uh , which is called the 10 , officially called n10-009 .

It's the latest version of CompTIA's Network Plus certification and it's replacing the 008 exam . Both exams cover fundamental networking skills but they are different in content , emphasis , structure and updates to reflect current industry practices and technologies . Let's compare the two . So for the Network Plus 9 , nine , network fundamentals makes up 24% .

Network implementation is 19 . Network operations , 16 . 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 on troubleshooting and fundamentals than anything else . That has gone up . Implementation has gone down 6% . Operations has gone down 4% .

Even security , which I'm a little surprised , went down 1% . So what are the updated context , new technologies , trends and the Network Plus exam . Number nine includes updated content on emerging technologies such as SD-WAN , 5g and advanced network security techniques .

Cloud and virtualization both exams cover a cloud concept , but nine has more emphasis on modern cloud architecture and virtualizations techniques . Security while both cover network security , nine includes updated content on security practices such as zero trust models and newer security protocols .

Network implementations focus on more practical implementations , including configuring and managing network devices and understanding wireless networks .

Eight had a broader focus on theoretical aspects and basic configurations , network troubleshooting , greater emphasis on the practical troubleshooting skills using contemporary tools and method troubleshooting skills using contemporary tools and method , while eight included uh foundational troubleshooting , but with less focus on hands-on real world scenarios compared to number nine .

So I see that as a good thing if they're gonna uh have more real life scenarios in the exam , because that's what you know employers are looking for that and even the students they .

You know employers are looking for that and even the students you know they want to , you know be able to study that so that way they can , you know , use it in real life and on the exam . So that's pretty good .

Exam format and difficulty Both exams have a similar format , including multiple choice questions , drag and drop activities and performance-based simulations , or the pbqs as we call it . However , nine may have updated . May have updated scenarios and simulations to reflect current industry environments , industry standards and protocols .

Nine reflects the latest industry standards and best practice , ensuring that certified individuals are up to date with the current network technologies and protocol . While aid is still relevant , some standards and practice cover might be slightly outdated compared to number nine .

Preparing for the exam If you are deciding which exam to take or preparing for one , consider the following and remember I think this one came out Juneune . The number nine came out june 20th , 2024 , but they'll both run parallel for six months . So if you're studying for the eight , you can still take it .

Um , you know , I think you have until 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 the exam soon . Right , don't wait too long , uh , you know to uh to take the exam .

So , uh , study resources . Use up-to-date study materials specifically designed for 9 , books , online courses , practice exams and hands-on labs can help focus on the new content .

Pay particular attention to the new technologies and trends covered in 9 , practical experience gain hands-on experience with networking equipment and configurations , as practical knowledge is critical for both exams , but it's more emphasized in Network Plus 9 .

By understanding these differences and focusing on the updated content , you can better prepare for your Network Plus exam , and that best aligns with current industry standards and practice . So if you're planning on taking the Network Plus exam , good luck . You know , I found it a little bit more difficult , honestly , than Security Plus .

Back when I took it , I just felt that Security Plus was more memorization than anything else . If you knew the definitions of a lot of stuff , you could answer the questions Right , but you really had to know the definitions . If you didn't know the definitions , then you were out of luck , but if you knew the definitions you can .

Yeah , you can figure it out . So , um , all right , before we continue with Wrapping Tree , I just want to give a shout out to . I have five of my students take their Security Plus exam . A couple of weeks back and they all um A plus course emailed me and told me that they passed the A plus . So shout out to them . They know who they are .

I don't know if they're listening , but shout out to them . So again , listen , this is we're making real changes . Right , that's my goal is , you know , making real changes , helping students , uh , you know , being able to help them with this process .

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

If you're listening to this and you'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 know the one thing , especially A plus , the one thing that you have to remember is if you're waiting to get 100% ready , you might never get there . So sometimes it's just worth a shot , just the gamble , to go and take it .

I know it's easier said than done because the exams are expensive , but sometimes you got to take a chance . You got to be take a chance on yourself , be confident in yourself that , okay , I got it , I got it . So that's my advice to you all right ? Spanning tree protocol .

So spanning tree protocol is designed to prevent network loops and ethernet networks by creating loop free logical topology . It achieves this by dynamically identifying and disabling redundant paths and networks . So how does it work ? There's a root bridge election .

All switches or routers in the network participate in the election of a root bridge , the central reference point of the spanning tree . The switch with the lowest bridge ID it's a combination of priority and MAC address becomes the root bridge . So how do they ?

Path cost calculation Each switch calculates the shortest path to the root bridge based on path cost , which considers factors like bandwidth . The election of the root bridge in the spanning tree protocol is a fundamental process to determine the central reference point for the spanning tree topology .

Here's how the election works Bridge ID Each switch in the network has a unique bridge ID which is used to determine the root bridge . The bridge ID consists of two parts Bridge priority , a configurable value with a default of 32768 . Lower values have higher priority . Then we have the mac address , the unique hardware address of the switch .

Those are the two bridge id parts . So then initialization Initially , each switch assumes itself to be the root bridge and sends out bridge protocol data units , or BPDUs , with its own bridge ID . Switches exchange BTUs to compare bridge ID .

Each BPDU contains the bridge ID of the switch it originated from , along with information about the best path to the current assumed root bridge .

When a switch receives a BPDU with a lower bridge ID than its own , it updates its own BPDU to reflect the lower bridge ID and forwards this updated BPDU to its neighbors bridge id and forwards this updated bpdu to its neighbors . This process continues until all switch agree on the switch with the lowest bridge id , which then becomes the root bridge .

So , for example , if you have three switches a , b and c and you know I'm just gonna make up some 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 . So bridge ID is a switch a , the bridge ID is 3344 , switch B bridge ID is 5566 and bridge C bridge ID is 7788 .

So if switch A , b and C start sending BPDUs , they will compare their bridge IDs . Switch A will see that has the lowest bridge ID and consider itself the root bridge .

Switch B and switch C will receive switch A BPDU and recognize that switch A has a lower bridge ID than theirs , they will stop considering themselves as the root bridge and forward switch A's BPDU . Switch A with the lowest bridge ID is elected as the root bridge .

All switches in the network will now recognize switch A as a root bridge and adjust their paths accordingly . By using the bridge ID to elect the root bridge , stp ensures a deterministic and consistent method for establishing the root of a spanning tree , thereby maintaining a loop free and efficient network topology .

So that's how we determine what the root bridge is , right , uh , and it's always been . There's a video on youtube , but the guy I forgot his name , I'll look it up but the guy perfectly explains how the root bridge works and he uses animation for it , right , which is a lot of ways .

Uh , makes it a lot easier because you , you know you visually , you see it . Um , but yeah , so that's how it works . Port roles ports are assigned roles based on their position relative to the root bridge . Root port the port with the lowest cost . Path to the root bridge .

You have your designated port , a port that forwards traffic towards a specific network segment . Block port , a port that does not forward frames to prevent loops , right , and then that's where you , that's what helps your network . Bpdu exchange switches , exchange bridge protocol data units to share information about path calls and bridge IDs .

Bpdus help maintain and update the spanning tree topology and then topology changes . Stp can adapt to changes in the network by recalculating the spanning tree to ensure loop-free connectivity . As variants of STP , you have rapid spanning tree protocol and improvement over STP , providing faster convergence time .

Multiple spanning tree protocol allows multiple spanning trees to exist within a single network , enabling low balance and more efficient use of network resources . Benefits of using STP in router loop prevention ensures a loop-free network topology , preventing broadcast storms and other issues caused by loops .

Redundancy allows for redundant links and paths , enhancing network resistance and fault tolerance . Dynamic adapt adapt uh adaption automatically adjusts to 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 while preventing potential network failures due to loops . And loops will kill you , will kill your network . So we don't want that . All right , we're going to continue on our next episode .

We're going to continue the summer series episode . We're going to continue the summer series on the student summer series on hacking . We got a good one by a bunch of students that did a really good one and that one's going to be in

English . The other one , the first one that we did , was in Spanish , very popular , but you know , I understand that most people , at least a lot of people here don't speak spanish , maybe , or don't understand spanish , so you didn't listen to it , but it was very popular .

Like I guess it went um , the kids sent it out to their friends and and , uh , you know it was , it was . It was very good , but the next one will be in english , don't worry , and then you can listen to that exciting summer series . All right , that's going to put a bowl on this today .

I want to thank everybody for listening and I hope you learned something about the new network exam and rapid spanning tree . Until next time , thank you .