CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam 220-1101

Lesson 4
Comparing Local Networking
Hardware

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Objectives
• Compare network types
• Compare networking hardware
• Explain network cable types
• Compare wireless networking types

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Lesson 4

Topic 4A
Compare Network Types

Copyright © 2022 CompTIA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org

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LANs and WANs
• Local area network (LAN)
• Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)

• Wireless local area network (WLAN)

• Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)

• Wide area network (WAN)

• Multiple geographic locations
• Use of intermediate public or service provider networks

• Metropolitan area network (MAN)

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SOHO and Enterprise Networks (Slide 1 of 2)
• Small Office Home Office
(SOHO)
• Single appliance provides
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Internet
connectivity

Image © 123RF.com

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SOHO and Enterprise Networks (Slide 2 of 2)
• Enterprise networks
• Reliability and scalability

• Modular design

Image © 123RF.com
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Datacenters and Storage Area Networks
• Datacenter
• Facility dedicated to hosting servers
• Networking, power, climate control, and physical access control features

• Storage area network (SAN)

• Network hosting configurable pool of storage devices
• Clients of the network are application servers (not ordinary workstations)
• Clients treat storage as logical disk
• Fiber Channel and Internet SCSI (iSCSI)

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Personal Area Networks
• Wireless and cellular connections over a few meters
• PC and smartphone

• PC/smartphone and peripheral devices

• Internet of Things and wearable technology

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 Review Activity: Network Types
• LANs and WANs
• SOHO and Enterprise Networks
• Datacenters and Storage Area Networks
• Personal Area Networks

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 Lab Activity
• Assisted Lab: Explore the VM Lab Environment
• This orientation lab is designed to help you learn how to use the lab interface and operate the virtual machines
(VMs) that you will use to complete each task

• Assisted labs guide you step-by-step through tasks

• Complete lab
• Submit all items for grading and check each progress box

• Select “Grade Lab” from final page

• Save lab
• Select the hamburger menu and select “Save”

• Cancel lab without grading

• Select the hamburger menu and select “End”

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Lesson 4

Topic 4B
Compare Networking Hardware

Copyright © 2022 CompTIA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org

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Network Interface Cards
• Media type (transceiver)
• Electrical versus optical

• Number of ports
• Framing and addressing
• Media access control (MAC)
address

• Source and destination

Screenshot courtesy of Wireshark
• Hex notation
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Patch Panels
• Back
• Terminate cabling from wall ports
to insulation displacement Image by plus69 © 123RF.com

connector (IDC) blocks

• Front
• Modular RJ-45 connectors

• Use patch cords to connect to

switch ports

Svetlana Kurochkina © 123RF.com

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Hubs
• Star topology wiring
• Concentrator repeats signals over
all cabled segments

• Hub
• All ports are in same collision
domain
• Performance reduced by
contention
Image © 123RF.com

• Half-duplex 10/100 Mbps

Ethernet only
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Switches
• Same star topology—each host
cabled to a switch port
• Switch forwards traffic to
specific destination port by
learning MAC addresses
• Allows each port to operate at
full-duplex and full speed
• Required for Gigabit Ethernet
Image © 123RF.com and better

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Unmanaged and Managed Switches
• Unmanaged switch
• Works without configuration

• Managed switch
• Configuration interface
• Additional functionality

• Enterprise modular switches

• Web or command-line interface

Images at © 123RF.com
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Power over Ethernet
• PoE standards
• 802.3af (~ 13 W)
• 802.3at (PoE+) (~ 25 W)
• 802.3bt (Ultra PoE) (~ 51 W (Type 3) or 73 W (Type 4)

• PoE-enabled switch
• Endspan power sourcing equipment (PSE)

• Injector
• Midspan

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 Review Activity: Network Hardware
• Network Interface Cards
• Patch Panels
• Hubs
• Switches
• Unmanaged and Managed Switches
• Power over Ethernet

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 Lab Activity
• Assisted Lab: Compare Networking Hardware
• Use the GNS3 network simulator to configure an Ethernet network

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Lesson 4

Topic 4C
Explain Network Cable Types

Copyright © 2022 CompTIA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org

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Unshielded Twisted Pair
• Copper wire cabling carrying
electrical signals
• Four balanced wire pairs
• Twisted at different rates and
balanced to reduce
interference
• Signal attenuation limits
maximum distance to 100 m
Image © 123RF.com

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Shielded Twisted Pair
• Screening or shielding as extra protection
against interference
• Used for 10G Ethernet+ in datacenters for higher
reliability

• Used when cabling is near external interference

sources (fluorescent lighting, power lines,
motors, and generators)

• Screened cable has one thin outer foil shield

around all pairs (ScTP, F/UTP, FTP)
• Fully shielded cabling has a braided outer
screen and foil-shielded pairs (S/FTP and
Public domain image by Baran Ivo F/FTP)
• Shield elements in cable, connector, and
patch panels must be bonded

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Cat Standards
Cat Max. Transfer Rate Max. Distance Network Application
100BASE-TX (Fast
5 100 Mbps 100 m (328 ft)
Ethernet)
1000BASE-T (Gigabit
5e 1 Gbps 100 m (328 ft)
Ethernet)
1000BASE-T (Gigabit
1 Gbps 100 m (328 ft)
Ethernet)
6
10GBASE-T (10 Gigabit
10 Gbps 55 m (180 ft)
Ethernet)
10GBASE-T (10 Gigabit
6A 10 Gbps 100 m (328 ft)
Ethernet)
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Copper Cabling Connectors

Images © 123RF.com

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Copper Cabling Installation Tools
• Patch cords are crimped to RJ-45
connectors
• Structured cable is terminated to
insulation displacement connect (IDC)
blocks in wall ports and patch panels
• Cable stripper
• Remove insulation

• Punchdown tool
dero2084 © 123RF.com
• Terminate to IDCs

• Crimper
• Add RJ-45 connector

Images by gasparij © 123RF.com

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Copper Cabling Test Tools
• Validate and test cable
installation
• Cable tester
• Verify termination

• Toner probe
• Trace a cable
Image by samum © 123RF.com Images © 123RF.com
• Loopback plug
• Test NIC or switch port

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Network Taps
• Capture network traffic
• Passive test access point (TAP)
• Active TAP
• Mirror port

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Copper Cabling Installation Considerations
• Installation to plenum spaces
• Building/fire safety regulations

• Plenum rated cable

• Installation as outside plant (OSP)

• Aerial, conduit, and direct burial

• Protection against weathering

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Optical Cabling
• Fiber optic cable types
Image by atrush © 123RF.com • Single-mode fiber (SMF)

• Multi-mode fiber (MMF)

• Connector types
• Straight tip (ST)

• Subscriber connector (SC)

Image by YANAWUT SUNTORNKIJ ©
123RF.com • Lucent connector (LC)

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Coaxial Cabling
• Coaxial cable
• Construction
Image by destinacigdem © 123RF.com • Uses

• F-type connector

Image © 123RF.com 30
 Review Activity: Network Cabling
• Unshielded Twisted Pair and Shielded Twisted Pair
• Cat Standards
• Copper Cabling Connectors
• Copper Cabling Installation and Test Tools
• Network Taps
• Copper Cabling Installation Considerations
• Optical Cabling
• Coaxial Cabling
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Lesson 4

Topic 4D
Compare Wireless Networking Types

Copyright © 2022 CompTIA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org

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Access Points
• IEEE 802.11 / Wi-Fi
• Infrastructure mode WLAN
• Access point interconnects wireless
clients (stations)
• Infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS)
• Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)
• MAC address of AP radio
• Can bridge with wired network via
a switch

Image © 123RF.com
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802.11a and the 5 GHz Frequency Band
• 2.4 GHz
• Better propagation, but fewer
channels and greater interference
risk
• 5 GHz
• Shorter range, but less congested
• IEEE 802.11a (54 Mbps)
• 23 x non-overlapping 20 MHz
channels
• Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS)
and regulatory impacts
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802.11b/g and the 2.4 GHz Frequency Band
• IEEE 802.11b (11 Mbps)
• 14 x 5 MHz channels

• Wi-Fi still needs 20 MHz channel

bandwidth
• Channels require careful
configuration to avoid overlap

• IEEE 802.11g (54 Mbps)

• 802.11b compatibility mode

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802.11n
• Dual band radios
• 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz

• 40 MHz channel bonding

• Multiple input multiple output
(MIMO)
• Use of multiple antennas to improve
reliability and bandwidth
• 72 Mbps per stream

• Wi-Fi 4
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Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6
• Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
• 5 GHz only

• Tri-band radios

• 80 and 160 MHz channel bonding

• Multiuser MIMO
• Connect stations simultaneously

• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz (plus new 6 GHz band)

• Downlink and uplink MU-MIMO

• Orthogonal frequency division multiple access

(OFDMA)

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Wireless LAN Installation Considerations
• Network name or Service Set
Identifier (SSID)
• Frequency band use
• Same SSID or different SSID per band
• Operation mode (legacy standards
support)
• Channel usage
• Non-overlapping
• Channel width/bonding
Screenshot courtesy of TP-Link

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Wi-Fi Analyzers
• Software installed to mobile device
• Reports configuration of nearby wireless
networks

• Signal strength on each channel

• Signal strength
• Decibels-milliwatt (dBm)

• Negative values with closer to zero better

performance

• Logarithmic scale

• 3 dBm difference represents halving or

doubling
MetaGeek, LLC. © Copyright 2005-2021
• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)

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Long Range Fixed Wireless
• Wireless bridges configured using microwave antennas
• Line of sight
• High gain
• Licensed spectrum use
• Legal right to remove interference sources
• Unlicensed spectrum
• Shared use of frequency band
• Regulatory requirements on power
• Transmit power, gain, and Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)

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Bluetooth, RFID, and NFC
• Bluetooth
• Connectivity for wireless
peripherals

• Radio Frequency ID (RFI)

• Wireless asset tags

• Inventory control

• Nearfield Communications
Image © 123RF.com
(NFC)
• Contactless payments
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 Review Activity: Wireless Networking Types
• Access Points
• 802.11a and the 5 GHz Frequency Band
• 802.11b/g and the 2.4 GHz Frequency Band
• 802.11n
• Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6
• Wireless LAN Installation Considerations
• Wi-Fi Analyzers
• Long-Range Fixed Wireless
• Bluetooth, RFID, and NFC
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 Lab Activity
• Assisted Lab: Compare Wireless Network Technologies
• Use the GNS3 network simulator to configure Wi-Fi networks

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CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam 220-1101

Lesson 4
Summary

Copyright © 2022 CompTIA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org

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