Certified - CompTIA Network + Audio Course
Episodes
Episode 85: Welcome to Domain 2 — Network Implementations
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Domain 2 of the Network Plus exam, which covers network implementations. While Domain 1 focused on fundamentals, Domain 2 buil...
Episode 84: Security Implications of Cloud Computing
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode addresses the security implications of cloud computing, focusing on how responsibilities are shared between provider and customer. Topics...
Episode 83: Elasticity and Scalability — Growing on Demand
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores elasticity and scalability, two defining characteristics of cloud computing. Elasticity refers to the ability to automatically e...
Episode 82: Multitenancy — Sharing the Cloud Securely
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the concept of multitenancy, where multiple customers share the same cloud infrastructure while maintaining logical separation...
Episode 81: Cloud Connectivity — VPN and Private Links
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains how organizations connect securely to cloud environments using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and private links. VPNs extend en...
Episode 80: Infrastructure as Code — Automating the Cloud
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Infrastructure as Code (IaC), the practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure through machine-readable configuration ...
Episode 79: Cloud Service Models — SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, and DaaS
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers cloud service models, which define how computing resources are delivered. Software as a Service (SaaS) provides complete applicati...
Episode 78: Cloud Deployment Models — Public, Private, Hybrid, Community
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the four main cloud deployment models: public, private, hybrid, and community. Public clouds provide shared resources over the...
Episode 77: Storage Area Networks (SANs) — High-Speed Storage Over the Network
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains Storage Area Networks (SANs), specialized networks that provide high-speed access to consolidated storage resources. SANs use pr...
Episode 76: Location Models — Branch Office, On-Prem, and Colocation
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces network location models, focusing on branch office, on-premises, and colocation deployments. A branch office model connects sm...
Episode 75: Understanding Network Traffic Flow — North-South vs. East-West
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the concepts of north–south and east–west traffic flow in networks. North–south traffic refers to communication between in...
Episode 74: Spine-and-Leaf Architecture — Flattening the Network
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces spine-and-leaf architecture, a design commonly used in modern data centers. In this model, all leaf switches connect to every ...
Episode 73: SDN in Operation — The Management Plane Explained
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores how SDN operates in practice, focusing on the management plane. The management plane is where administrators define network poli...
Episode 72: Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Fundamentals
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains Software-Defined Networking (SDN), which separates the control plane from the data plane to provide centralized management and p...
Episode 71: Three-Tiered Architecture — Core, Distribution, and Access
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the three-tiered network architecture model, which organizes devices into core, distribution, and access layers. The core prov...
Episode 70: Network Time Protocol (NTP) — Keeping Clocks in Sync
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains Network Time Protocol (NTP), which synchronizes clocks across devices to ensure accurate timestamps and coordinated operations. ...
Episode 69: DNS Essentials — Records, Resolution, and Queries
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines the Domain Name System (DNS), which translates hostnames into IP addresses. It introduces common record types such as A, AAAA, M...
Episode 68: DHCP Concepts and Configuration Essentials (Scope, Reservations, Relay)
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), which automatically assigns IP addresses and related configuration details to device...
Episode 67: Connection-Oriented vs. Connectionless — Making Sense of Transport Styles
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the difference between connection-oriented and connectionless communication, two fundamental transport styles. Connection-orient...
Episode 66: GRE and IPsec — Tunneling and Secure Transport
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces two important tunneling and transport technologies: Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)...
Episode 65: TCP and UDP — The Transport Layer's Two Engines
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the two primary protocols at the transport layer. TCP is...
Episode 64: ICMP — The Network's Messaging System
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), which communicates error messages and diagnostic information between devices. ICMP...
Episode 63: SIP and VoIP Protocols
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and other Voice over IP (VoIP) protocols that support modern telephony systems. SIP establis...
Episode 62: SNMP and Network Management Traffic
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which enables administrators to monitor and manage network devices. SNMP uses a manager...
Episode 61: File and Print Services — SMB and SQL Protocols
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces file and print services, focusing on the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol and the role of SQL-based services in network env...
Episode 60: Network Services — DNS, DHCP, NTP, Syslog
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces four essential network services: Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Network Time Protocol (...
Episode 59: Web and Directory Services — HTTP, HTTPS, LDAP, LDAPS
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers web and directory service protocols, which form the backbone of modern communication and identity management. Hypertext Transfer P...
Episode 58: Email Protocols — SMTP, POP3, IMAP, and Their Secure Variants
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the protocols that enable email delivery and retrieval. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used to send messages, while P...
Episode 57: Protocols for Remote Access — SSH, Telnet, and RDP
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers remote access protocols, which enable administrators to manage systems from a distance. Telnet, one of the oldest methods, is intr...
Episode 56: Protocols for File Transfer — FTP, SFTP, TFTP, and More
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the protocols commonly used for transferring files across networks. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is explained as a traditional...
Episode 55: Virtual IPs and Subinterfaces — Logical Address Extensions
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the concepts of virtual IPs and subinterfaces, which extend logical addressing capabilities. A virtual IP is an address shared a...
Episode 54: IPv6 Transition Technologies
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces IPv6 transition technologies, which allow networks to support both IPv4 and IPv6 during the migration period. Methods such as ...
Episode 53: IPv6 Subnetting and Address Planning
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers IPv6 subnetting, which operates differently from IPv4 due to its larger 128-bit address space. Instead of conserving addresses, IP...
Episode 52: IPv4 Subnetting — The Process Step by Step
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode walks through the process of IPv4 subnetting, a skill that requires practice and speed for the exam. It explains how to take a given netw...
Episode 51: CIDR Notation — Reading and Writing Network Ranges
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation, the shorthand system used to represent IP address ranges with a suffix indicat...
Episode 50: Classless Addressing and VLSM
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces classless addressing and Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM), which replaced the limitations of classful addressing. Classle...
Episode 49: Understanding Classful IPv4 Addressing
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode reviews classful IPv4 addressing, a historical system that divided addresses into five classes: A, B, C, D, and E. Each class had predefi...
Episode 48: The Default Gateway — Directing Traffic Outward
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the role of the default gateway, which directs traffic from a local network to destinations outside its subnet. Without a proper...
Episode 47: IPv6 Address Types — Know the Modes of Delivery
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the different types of IPv6 addresses, which define how communication occurs within an IPv6-enabled network. The three main ca...
Episode 46: IPv4 vs. IPv6 — A Structural Comparison
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode compares IPv4 and IPv6, highlighting their structural differences and why both remain important on the exam and in practice. IPv4 uses 32...
Episode 45: APIPA and EUI-64 — Self-Assigned and Extended Addressing
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) and EUI-64 addressing. APIPA is a fallback mechanism in IPv4 where devices assign them...
Episode 44: PAT — Port Address Translation and Overload NAT
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on Port Address Translation (PAT), often called overload NAT, which extends NAT by allowing multiple devices to share one public ...
Episode 43: NAT — Hiding Networks Behind a Single IP
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Network Address Translation (NAT), a process that allows multiple internal devices to share a single public IP address. It exp...
Episode 42: Public vs. Private Addressing — What You’re Allowed to Use
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the difference between public and private IP addresses and why the distinction is important for both exam and real-world environ...
Episode 41: Introduction to IP Addressing and Subnetting
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the fundamentals of IP addressing and subnetting, two of the most critical skills for the Network Plus exam. It explains how I...
Episode 40: Ethernet Standards over Fiber and Multiplexing
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Ethernet standards over fiber optic cabling, which enable high-speed communication across longer distances than copper. Standa...
Episode 39: Ethernet Standards over Copper
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the Ethernet standards that operate over copper cabling, from early Fast Ethernet to Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. It describ...
Episode 38: Cable Management, Panels, and Punchdowns
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode highlights the importance of proper cable management, distribution panels, and punchdown blocks in maintaining organized, functional netw...
Episode 37: Media Converters — Bridging the Gap
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains media converters, devices that enable communication between different types of physical cabling, such as copper to fiber or sing...
Episode 36: Transceiver Modules — Plugging Light into Switches
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces transceiver modules, which enable switches, routers, and other network devices to interface with fiber or copper cabling. Stan...
Episode 35: Common Fiber and Copper Connector Types
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on the various connector types used with fiber and copper cabling. For fiber, common connectors include ST, SC, LC, and MTP/MPO, ...
Episode 34: Single-Mode vs. Multimode Fiber
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the differences between single-mode and multimode fiber, two types of optical cabling defined by how light travels through the c...
Episode 33: Understanding Fiber Optic Cabling
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces fiber optic cabling, which transmits data as pulses of light rather than electrical signals. Fiber provides high bandwidth, lo...
Episode 32: Termination Standards — TIA/EIA-568A vs. 568B
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the TIA/EIA-568A and TIA/EIA-568B cabling standards, which define how twisted pair cables are terminated for reliable network ...
Episode 31: Coaxial and Twinaxial Cables
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers coaxial and twinaxial cables, two copper-based media types that still appear in both exam questions and some practical environment...
Episode 30: Twisted Pair Cabling Standards — Cat 5, 5e, 6, 6a, and Beyond
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines twisted pair cabling standards, including Category 5, 5e, 6, 6a, and higher classifications. Each standard is defined by its max...
Episode 29: Introduction to Transmission Media and Copper Cabling
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces transmission media, focusing on copper cabling as one of the most widely used network media types. It explains how copper cabl...
Episode 28: Network Provider Links — From Satellite to Metro Optical
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the variety of network provider links that organizations use to connect geographically dispersed sites. It introduces technologi...
Episode 27: Network Function Virtualization (NFV) in Practice
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Network Function Virtualization (NFV), which replaces traditional hardware-based appliances like routers, load balancers, and ...
Episode 26: Virtual Network Interfaces and Components
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores virtual network interfaces and components, which allow logical networking functions to operate independently of physical hardwar...
Episode 25: Network Entry Points — Demarcation and Smartjacks
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers network entry points, specifically the concepts of demarcation points and smartjacks. A demarcation point is where the responsibil...
Episode 24: Modern WAN Technologies — MPLS and mGRE
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces two important WAN technologies: Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and multipoint Generic Routing Encapsulation (mGRE). MPLS...
Episode 23: Storage and Virtual Networking
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on storage networking and virtual networking, two areas that reflect modern infrastructure trends. Storage networking includes te...
Episode 22: Specialized Network Types — WLAN, PAN, CAN
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains specialized network types beyond the traditional LAN and WAN categories. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) extend LANs using ...
Episode 21: LAN, MAN, and WAN — The Scope of Networks
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the three primary categories of network scope: Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), and Wide Area Ne...
Episode 20: Peer-to-Peer vs. Client-Server Architectures
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the difference between peer-to-peer and client-server network architectures. In a peer-to-peer model, devices communicate direct...
Episode 19: Network Topologies — What Connects What
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the major types of network topologies, including bus, star, ring, mesh, and hybrid. It explains how each topology defines the ...
Episode 18: MTU and Fragmentation — Why Packet Size Matters
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the role of Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) and how packet fragmentation occurs when data exceeds size limits. MTU defines the l...
Episode 17: Inside the Packet — Headers and Payloads
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines the structure of a network packet, focusing on how headers and payloads define communication. It explains that headers contain a...
Episode 16: OSI Upper Layers and Data Encapsulation (Layers 5–7 and Encapsulation)
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the upper layers of the OSI model: Session, Presentation, and Application. These layers manage sessions between devices, format ...
Episode 15: OSI Layer 4 — The Transport Layer
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines the Transport Layer, which manages reliable communication between devices through segmentation, error checking, and flow control...
Episode 14: OSI Layer 3 — The Network Layer
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on the Network Layer of the OSI model, where logical addressing and routing decisions occur. It explains how Internet Protocol (I...
Episode 13: OSI Layer 1 and Layer 2 — Physical and Data Link Layers
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines the first two layers of the OSI model: the Physical Layer and the Data Link Layer. The Physical Layer is introduced as the found...
Episode 12: What Is the OSI Model and Why It Still Matters
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, a seven-layer framework that standardizes how networks operate and communicate. Ea...
Episode 11: Welcome to Domain 1 — Networking Fundamentals
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces Domain 1 of the Network Plus exam, which focuses on networking fundamentals. It explains that this domain lays the groundwork ...
Episode 10: Glossary Essentials — Wireless, Virtualization, and Cloud Terms
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces key terms associated with wireless networking, virtualization, and cloud computing, three areas that are heavily represented o...
Episode 9: Glossary Essentials — Security and Protocol Terms
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on the essential security and protocol terms you must understand for the Network Plus exam. It introduces concepts such as encryp...
Episode 8: Glossary Essentials — Core Networking Terms
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces a set of foundational networking terms that are essential for both the exam and real-world understanding. Concepts such as ban...
Episode 7: Exam Day Strategy — From Sleep to Scantron
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on preparing yourself for exam day to ensure you perform at your best. It discusses the importance of getting adequate rest, mana...
Episode 6: Labs and Simulations — Learning by Doing
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode highlights the importance of practical, hands-on learning when preparing for the Network Plus exam. It explains that many concepts, such ...
Episode 5: Study Smarter — Building a Bulletproof Learning Plan
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode emphasizes the importance of designing a structured study plan that aligns with the Network Plus exam objectives. It explains how to divi...
Episode 4: How to Think Like a Test Writer — The Anatomy of a CompTIA Question
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on breaking down the structure of CompTIA questions and learning how to analyze them effectively. It explains the key parts of a ...
Episode 3: What to Expect on the Network Plus Exam
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode provides a detailed overview of the structure and requirements of the CompTIA Network Plus exam. It explains the number and types of ques...
Episode 2: What Is the Network Plus Certification and Why Take It?
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explains the purpose of the Network Plus certification and its value in validating essential networking skills across a vendor-neutral fr...
Episode 1: Welcome to the Network Plus Audio Course
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces the Network Plus Audio Course as your structured companion for mastering networking concepts and preparing for the CompTIA exa...