(Part 2) Best software certification guides according to redditors
We found 2,882 Reddit comments discussing the best software certification guides. We ranked the 675 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
I'm a PhD student. My day typically involves some of the following:
Some of the reading I do is work by my advisor (whose model I'm using in my own work) or people in the field that we're working to solve the same or similar problems. Sometimes it will be related work that I will need to cite in my own papers that I need to understand. Sometimes it will be about cryptographic primitives that I want to make use of in one of my own papers. Sometimes I will read about works that I want to extend, including their "Future Work" section to figure out what the unsolved problems in the area are. Reading can also involve printing out a paper and keeping notes on it or running some small examples by hand to see if things make sense. For example, I'm currently reading the SmartPool paper and re-reading the Ouroboros paper for the n-th time.
I'm currently working on three papers. These are nice examples, because each of them is in a different stage: The first one is finished and I'm polishing it; the second one has been accepted at a major conference, but still needs some work; the third one is in exploratory and at very early stage.
My Non-Interactive Proofs of Proof-of-Work paper is in quite mature stage and has a dozen citations now. Some people have followed up on this paper and have given me extensive feedback, which I want to incorporate and use to improve the paper. I will go over their feedback and make small fixes, check my math again, and so on. Someone made a lecture on my work on YouTube which I would go through to see how they educate people about my work and to see if my writing is as clear as I would like it to be. This paper hasn't been published in a formal venue yet, so I'm also waiting for a response and refreshing my email these days, as it's the time the responses from a conference I've submitted it to come out.
A second paper I'm working on is called "Proof-of-Stake Sidechains". This has not yet been made public, but it has been accepted in a major conference. I'm being urged by my advisor and co-authors to keep working on it so that we can put it up on ePrint very soon. This work involves reading footnotes and comments scribbled on the paper by my co-authors which scrutinize my security proof and basically point out mathematical mistakes in my thinking. As the conference version contains proof sketches, but the open-access version will contain fully formal proofs, most of the work is in the formalism and the precise mathematics. My work involves re-structuring my lemmas by, for instance, splitting them up, merging them, changing their assumptions, or changing their statements. Sometimes I will look at a proof portion and realize there's a mistake and try to fix it. Or the proof will be correct, but the writing will be too unclear and I will try to make it a bit more readable or verbose. I'm also working a lot on making my algorithms (pseudocode) clearer by changing some of my notation, making them shorter, ensuring my variable names are good, and so on. Some of my work here also includes formatting the paper to look better in LaTeX, adding explanatory paragraphs in the text where I feel things are not clear, and sometimes changing the narrative and doing "editorial" work on the text, such as moving sections around or splitting up a section or so.
A third paper I'm working on will probably be called something along the lines of "Blockchain Moustaches: Adversarially censoring block predicates", but I'm not sure yet. In this work, we don't know much yet, but we're trying to figure things out. We have a few theorem sketches which we think are true, but we're not sure. I'm trying to create proof sketches there. I will run some examples on my notebook and maybe make some proof attempt in a specific direction. Some other work I'm doing here is thinking about relevant applications of what we're doing and considering whether our work can be applied in areas where we haven't thought of yet. This work consists of googling about topics and trying to figure out how various practical systems work, including reading some code. Also, if I have an idea but I'm unable to approach it in theory, I will write code to run simulations in which I can confirm my hypotheses. For example, I will implement an attack and see if it works with some probability and calculate it using a Monte Carlo approach. Or I will make a prototype implementation of one of my new schemes to measure how fast it is, how many bytes it takes up (e.g. a new signature scheme), or how many bytes it requires on the network (e.g. for a new cryptographic protocol that runs on the network).
In practice, this means that I'm spending most of my time either on my notebook or in front of my computer writing LaTeX in Atom and committing in git/github.
My meetings will be with my advisor or my co-authors, in which we will go over some section of our paper where some thing is unclear. As I'm the student here, typically I will present some of my progress and ask questions to help me find my way. Another thing I will do is I will explain a portion of my proof to my co-authors and they will confirm that I'm in the right direction or they may have some insightful comment about something that I'm missing.
I'm also working with some master students to supervise their master theses and I have some meetings with them also. Here I will hear about their progress and give them general direction. I'm currently working with a student who is implementing one of my papers in practice. We will often discuss a section of my paper and clarify something in my pseudocode, or look at his code and see if it makes sense. Sometimes he will ask me questions about the security of my scheme or why I'm doing things the way I'm doing them in theory and if he needs to include certain checks in practice. Perhaps we will work through an example on a whiteboard to illustrate why a certain attack is possible if some aspect of the construction is incorrectly implemented.
I'm also working with IOHK, a company with an engineering team who are implementing some of my schemes in production. I'll have a meeting with them every once in a while, in which their engineers will ask me questions about my scheme and they will gauge my reaction about what they're doing. They'll present their work and we will discuss if it's in the right direction. Sometimes they will make simplifying assumptions in the code and we'll talk about whether they make sense security-wise. Sometimes they will give me insight about how things are different in practice and about something that I have missed in one of my papers and inspire me to write an additional section or change something. Here they also sometimes point out related work which I'll put in my backlog for later reading.
I guess that sums up most of my days! If you have further questions feel free to reach out :)
Ross Andersons Security Engineering. Could be a bit outdated in some places, but overall a tremendous read.
Luckily, its available free in here. There's also a kindle and hardcover versions available here.
I'm sort of in the same boat as you, except with an aero and physics background rather than EE. My approach has been pretty similar to yours--I found the textbooks used by my alma mater, compared to texts recommended by MIT OCW and some other universities, looked at a few lists of recommended texts, and looked through similar questions on Reddit. I found most areas have multiple good texts, and also spent some time deciding which ones looked more applicable to me. That said, I'm admittedly someone who rather enjoys and learns well from textbooks compared to lectures, and that's not the case for everyone.
Here's what I gathered. If any more knowledgeable CS guys have suggestions/corrections, please let me know.
Full disclosure: I haven't actually read more than the preface of any of those books. Software engineering topics are more directly applicable to me than CS topics right now, so here are some that I've actually started reading:
> I'm very new to BGP, and there's not a lot of information out there on this topic.
That is absolutely not true, there are tons and tons of information available regarding proper BGP configuration and design :
BGP Design and Implementation
Internet Routing Architecture
Practical BGP
Network Warrior 2
You should really try to understand BGP if you want to optimize your peering. Maybe look at getting someone with BGP experience onboard your project.
Internet Routing Architectures by Sam Halabi is considered by some to be the Holy Bible when it comes to BGP.
I welcome your newly found understanding of the saying "security is hard". Here is your complimentary copy of Security Engineering, take good care of it.
TAOCP is too hard: its like one of those fantasy wishlist items: the kind of thing every computer scientist wishes they had read but never really has the time to. Some nicer books that are gold standards in their respective fields are:
CLRS (Algorithms)
SICP (Just see the top two amazon reviews)
Kernighan and Ritchie (if you want to be a pretty accomplished C programmer and have little to no real C experience before)
Since you mentioned security, Ross Anderson's Security Engineering is a fantastic read, and very easy to parse: you could read it through in less than a week and have a deeply changed view of the structural issues in security: there is little crypto in the book (for that, Schneier is the gold standard) but more discussion about protocols, where protocols fail, real-world protocols like the military classification scheme, etc. It is absolutely fantastic. If you read this and Schneier you'd have a very thorough understanding of the entire security stack.
Kleinberg and Tardos is a much easier read than CLRS when it comes to algorithms, doesn't cover as much, and is very graceful in its explanations. Personally, I love it.
I believe you're looking for the Bible, sir.
For all 3 exams, I followed the same order of study materials. I would first read a book that covered the whole exam. Next, I would watch a video series about the exam(I would read a book and watch videos at the same time). I then would go through the exam objectives and look up anything else I didn't learn from the books or the video series. Lastly, I would some practice exams to practice test questions (look up any terms you don't know in any questions).
|Exam|Step 1: Read a Book|Step 2: Watch a video series|Step 3: Go over exam objectives|Step 4: Practice tests|
:--|:--|:--|:--|:--|
|Network+|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1260122387/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1|https://www.professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-007/n10-007-training-course/|https://certnet.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Network-N10-007-Exam-Objectives.pdf|Didn't actually use any practice tests for net+ but would recommend|
|Security+|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1260019322/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1|https://www.udemy.com/comptia-security-certification-sy0-501-the-total-course/|https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/Security%2B%20SY0-501%20Exam%20Objectives.pdf|https://www.udemy.com/comptia-security-practice-exams/|
|CySA+|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/126001181X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1|https://www.udemy.com/comptiacsaplus/|https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-(cs0-001).pdf|https://www.udemy.com/comptiacsa/|
Well, first I'd like to say to definitely stick with your Computer Science course load. It will be a solid foundation.
There is a lot of practical stuff you can learn. I'm not sure on your skills so, I'd install a Linux distribution like Mint, or Ubuntu in a Virtual Machine and pick up a book like How Linux Works. Once you're comfortable enough with Linux, I'd install it on something like a Raspberry Pi and play around with some projects. There's plenty on the Internet about the Raspberry Pi and playing around with them is very educational.
For networking, check out a [Networking+ book] (http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-All-In-One-Exam-Guide/dp/0071789227). You don't have to take the exam, but you will learn a decent amount about networking fundamentals from the book. You might also enjoy the videos on Stanford's on-line course, although the course is over.
I'm kind of rambling, but just find something you're interested in and go from there. Try to break it, fix it, find a project.
edit: updated version link for 'How Linux Works'.
I'm currently reading this one as a part of the Networks module I'm taking: http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networks-Edition-Andrew-Tanenbaum/dp/0130661023 two hundred pages through and still find it quite interesting.
The only thing I did was go through this book, write a bunch of notes to memorize commands/options I didn't know and practice on a VM. It's a pretty easy test though.
>did you take a class or study on your own?
Studied on my own.
>Can you recommend any good sites or books that are somewhat instructional lead?
I used this.
You should remember a three-word strategy to studying for and passing the Network+: Divide and conquer.
You need to be smart about what you put effort into understanding and memorizing. Look at the Exam Objectives. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the Exam Objectives, you'll see there is a list of hundreds of terms and acronyms. I would not encourage anyone to try and memorize every single acronym on that list. Instead, you should focus on WHATEVER is an OBJECTIVE. Here is a list of SOME of the things I would encourage you to memorize.
Look up everything I've listed above (and a lot of other things I missed out too that are listed on the Exam Objectives) and learn about them through different means (books, videos, podcasts, apps, etc)
Don't just memorize something. Understand it. Understanding it will help you memorize it.
You should have a plan on how you plan on studying. Don't just study aimlessly. The Network+ exam is a marathon. People don't just get up one day and run a marathon. They train for it. The finish line is passing the exam, the race track is the Exam Objectives. Not everyone can successfully finish a marathon. You need to train (study) and condition (practice) yourself to be prepared to run and finish that race.
Remember to take it one day at a time. You should pay for and schedule the exam so that you have a set date for the exam which will incentive you to study instead of procrastinating. Take it one day at a time BUT HAVE A PLAN. DIVIDE AND CONQUER. BREAK THINGS UP INTO SMALLER MANAGEABLE CHUNKS. MAKE LISTS. BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT MEMORIZING SOMETHING, CHECK THE EXAM OBJECTIVES TO SEE IF IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME AND EFFORT TO MEMORIZE SAID THING.
Some tools to help you study:
I'll try and offer some advice, since I'm in the same boat as you. I love planes and aviation, but I'm not at a point yet where I can afford the cost of flying (working on it. :) ).
Simming on a computer will never be the same as the real thing - the feel is missing. Even the most expensive yoke and pedal combination can't duplicate the feeling of g-forces and feedback you get from the control surfaces through your controls. That said, here are some tips if you want to get into flight simming:
Flight Simulator Software:
There are two main contenders here, Microsoft's Flight Simulator X, and X-Plane. They are both good, and both have their positives and negatives. FSX has a TON of addons that you can get, from scenery, to additional airplanes, to weather, etc. X-Plane has some too, but not nearly as much. If you think you might want to expand your flight simming later on to more realistic airplanes and scenery, I would get FSX. If you just want to plug something in and fly, either one will do fine. If you want to do more military type sims, I would look into the DCS series, they are making pretty good stuff right now.
Controllers:
Flight Stick vs Yoke - This would be the first thing I would look at peripherial-wise. Which you get depends on how realistic you want to be, and what types of planes you think you'll fly. If you are going to be doing military aircraft, or stuff like Airbus planes, get a stick. If you're going to be sticking pretty much anything else, get a yoke. I personally got a stick first, and got a yoke later.
Pedals - this would be #2 on my list of hardware to get. You really don't get the same experience of flying on a computer without them.
Other - The next thing I would get is this awesome device called TrackIR (http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir). It's optional, but highly recommended. It tracks your head movements and allows you to look around in the sim without using a hat switch or other movement device. It totally changed flight simming for me - flying VFR in the sim is actually pleasant with this device. I can't overstate how this device has changed flight simming for me.
Any other hardware (like radio stacks, indicator gauges, stuff like that) is purely optional, and in my opinion, should only really be used if you're doing something like building a home cockpit.
As far as getting better - practice, practice, practice. That's really the only thing for it. Put the settings on realistic flight and go for it. If you're looking for a good book to supplement the tutorials, I recommend this one: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302182828&sr=8-1 The guy that wrote it is a real pilot, and structures the book in such a way that you progress as much like a real pilot in training can in a sim. It's much better at laying this out than the tutorials are.
If you want any more advice, just PM me, I'm happy to help.
If you use Mike Meyers book
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=comptia+a%2B&qid=1572642240&sprefix=Compti&sr=8-3
And watch
Professor Messer's free video series its basically a guaranteed win IMO. That's true for A+ Security + Network +.
https://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-1001/220-1000-training-course/
I'm undefeated with that strategy.
I took some time to search a bit so I could give you a proper answer. I took the 901 and the 902 so I was sort of unaware of what's working for people for the new 1001 and 1002.
The ones I found that seemed solid are right here:
This is the cheap option. It's been recommended highly by quite a few people and seems to work for others.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1260454037/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AyWCDbFBQH7J7
The more expensive option is the updated version of the book I used. Don't be pushed away by the bad reviews, as the ones on here are irrelevant to the actual material covered in the book. (Take a peek at them for yourself if you'd like.)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0357108299/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kNWCDbX20B2NH
I also highly recommend looking at free resources like certblaster.com
They have free exam notes which are incredibly useful and will help with studying and explaining things you dont understand.
Also check out Professor Messer's YouTube channel and watch the 1001 and 1002 exam training course. It's free and without a doubt some of the best videos out there for this cert.
> I have my A+ cert
>
>they recommended a segmented network. and I had to google what that even was.
>
>I am the "IT Guy" The previous "IT Guy" got me this job
You need to start reading cbks right now in all your free time. Even if you don't take the cert exams for the cbks below, it is knowledge you need to know asap.
​
I suggest these (in order):
​
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387/ref=sr_1_3
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Server-Certification-Guide-SK0-004/dp/125983803X/ref=sr_1_1
https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/111885991X/ref=sr_1_4
https://www.amazon.com/Windows-PowerShell-Cookbook-Scripting-Microsofts/dp/1449320686/ref=pd_sbs_14_5/143-0552349-3403540
https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119359147/ref=sr_1_3
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322/ref=sr_1_4
Are you interested in configuration specifics or just "how BGP works"? For the former, you'll have to go through your vendor more than likely. For the latter, use the bible
That book is probably what you want. It looks like it focuses more on math and how it applies to cryptography rather than on crypto algorithms and how they work, pros/cons, etc. It was also used in this math class at Berkeley (lots of extra reading material on that page too).
Again, I think the book you found is what you want. But here are some other options if you want some:
FSX is a brilliant sim despite what some users of other sims might say. I use all three main sims and FSX is still up there with the best because of the upgrade options and back catalogue of freeware.
It’s particularly good for learning because of the excellent learning center stuff included - both written descriptions and lessons. The lessons themselves can become a bit annoying later on because of the very fussy tolerance standards, and because of a few bugs.
If you really want to get deeper into flight sim learning get this book below - and fly the lessons that you can download for use with the book. This book takes you from the basics to advanced flying using charts and landing systems. These lessons will help you in any sim you fly with in the future, as it teaches about flying rather than FSX. The kind of stuff you might see other people doing and wonder how you learn that. The answers and step by step instructions are here below - and available used for a few dollars/pounds on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1543150152&sr=8-10&keywords=fsx+flight+simulator+x
Also would recommend the Angle of Attack free video series to fly along with.
https://www.flyaoamedia.com/aviator-90/
If you want to see FSX upgraded download the free Orbx Pacific Northwest demo. The process is sign in / add the free products / and download the FTX central scenery manager to install. You will also see loads of other demos/freeware in there.
https://orbxdirect.com/demos
Add to that PNW demo the freeware airport KHQM - and take a flight from KHQM and head north to the mountains. You will see a massive difference. (As long as you have followed the scenery recommended settings from the guide in central)
https://orbxdirect.com/product/khqm
With this type of scenery FSX looks like a completely different sim.
Definitely start with your A+ and follow the cert path mentioned by others in this thread. However, you probably don't need to buy a training course. I passed my A+ about a month ago using the book [Exam Cram] (http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374555603&sr=8-1&keywords=exam+cram+a%2B) and the free online videos from Professor Messer. Good luck!
The best way to learn is to use it as your primary system, and you'll learn as you have to solve problems. If you're looking to learn its recommended you use something that isn't going to abstract everything like Ubuntu or Linux Mint does, and use something such as Debian etc. (or if you're adventurous and really want to accelerate your learning, Gentoo or others) where you're a bit more involved with less hand holding.
Since you're also wanting to peruse it for purposes of future career options, depending upon your location (NA or Europe) you'll see quite a bit of value from Red Hat certs if you're located in North America. For this there's a lot of reading you can do, but generally the recommendations come down to Jang or Sander books. The current RHEL OS is release 7, and the certification follows that so you'll have to make sure you're using up to date information for reasons of release specific changes (systemd as an example).
Additionally you'll want to make use of Administration guides and the official documentation. This will help you learn to use and administrate systems, but if you're looking to understand things on a lower level there are wonderful books such as How Linux Works to really understand what's going on underneath and help tie things together a bit.
At some point after you're familiar with Linux and you've been using it for a while comfortably you'll want to start learning BASH. Having a good handle on the command line with help with picking up BASH as you use the same commands strung together along with logic structures, error checking, and whatnot to accomplish the tasks you're trying to do. At least some BASH is recommended due to the power of it, and how all distros have a version of the bash shell so provided your script is built portable enough you'll be able to script tasks across systems.
This wiki links to a lot of valuable material, you'll want to go through it in conjunction with a guide such as this. As usual solving problems is a great way to learn, so if you give yourself a project to script and figure it out along the way is great.
Best of luck, this'll keep you busy for a while
I would strongly recommend picking up a CompTIA review book. I'm not trying to advertise anything, but these are some that I have used for school, and they have helped me.
https://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/isbn/9781285777511?forceRegion=US&cid=gshop&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&scid=scplp5299347&sc_intid=9781285777511&gclid=Cj0KEQjwpNm-BRCJ3rDNmOuKi9IBEiQAlzDJH-Trutg2GZwt1ho5kEEUUqceYwzCyGIcfQc9LB3oUCwaAr948P8HAQ
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-220-801/dp/1118324056
Buy this
CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-901 and 220-902
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119137853
And the exams are $200 each ($400 total) right from the comptia website
Done!
Edit - the book had plenty of practice tests and online resources as well.
Keep your head up!
I failed the CISSP, and like you, had to do some soul searching on why I failed. It turns out, it had nothing to do with how smart I was, or how much I studied, but it was how I was studying that made the difference.
Please see this video detailing how I studied for and passed the CISSP on my second try and 4 AWS exams after that using the same exact method:
https://youtu.be/wod92WIn92E
​
The materials I used to pass the SAA:
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558/ref=sr_1_3?crid=31WZJJVGJE1SS&keywords=aws+certified+solutions+architect+official+study+guide&qid=1570917672&sprefix=aws+crti%2Caps%2C256&sr=8-3#customerReviews
Also, don't sit for the exam until you feel comfortable enough to take it, but if you follow the guidelines in the first link above, it has helped myself pass as well as other people I've worked with pass AWS exams and the CISSP.
Keep your head up, and don't let this exam beat you. Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions.
Hope this helps!
My background: Passed CSAA, CDA, SysOps, Cloud Practitioner and CISSP
These two books for the ICND 1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CCENT-CCNA-100-105-Official-Guide-x/dp/1587205807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483461592&sr=8-1&keywords=icnd+1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CCENT-ICND1-Study-Guide-100-105-ebook/dp/B01I5WZ6L2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483461592&sr=8-2&keywords=icnd+1
These two books for the ICND 2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Routing-Switching-ICND2-200-105-Official-x/dp/1587205793/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483461669&sr=8-1&keywords=icnd+2
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CCNA-ICND2-Study-Guide-200-105/dp/1119290988/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
I recently got my RHCSA back in February and I used the video series by Sander Van Vugt. He also has a book
I haven't used the book, but almost exclusively used Sander's videos (which are available on some....seedy websites? I think they're also available through Pearson). Also, Linux Academy has a similar video series that you can try for 7 days free.
Another useful free video source is the RHCSA Tip of the Week series on Youtube.
In terms of recommendation for studying, you NEED to be running CentOS VMs. You can use actual RHEL servers and signup for a free license as a dev, but CentOS is identical for the purposes of the RHCSA. Everything on the RHCSA Objective Page has a chance of being on the exam. You need to basically be able to step through each of the objectives by memory. This also isn't a written test, but performance based. So they wouldn't ask you how to do something, they would tell you do perform the action in a VM.
Also, learn the man, apropos, grep and find commands intimately and your life will be infinitely easier on the exam. The better you are at bash, the more time you can shave off tasks.
Personal recommendation, don't shoot for certifications with only Messer's videos and quick notes/questions. You might be able to pass the exam like that but more than likely you're going to be under prepared. Especially important for Network+ and Security+, as if something goes wrong it can cost a lot of money to the company. The in depth books are boring and will take a while, but it will teach you a lot more than studying the questions will.
Personally, when i study I use the 2-2-2 method. 2 Books, 2 Supplemental sources (Videos, tutorials, labs), and 2 Practice tests. Two books to make sure that if one author didn't cover a subject in detail well enough, or if I don't understand them, the other one mostly likely will cover it well enough. The other 2 would be other sources to learn from. I would watch videos on Wardriving, networking centers, data centers, etc. to get an idea of how everything looks in a real world deployment. Network+ won't teach you what to really expect to see in a MDF/IDF. CBTNuggets gets recommended a lot, but I usually use pluralsight. And 2 Practice exams, which I have to constantly get over 80% on them.
Todd Lammle's Network+ book is amazing, highly recommended
Mike Meyer's Book is also a good read.
As far as Security+ goes...
Favorite Security+ Material I've read. Super in depth and organizes topics very well.
Better than nothing for Sec+. After reading this book I did not review it again until right before the exam. Barely touches on a lot of subjects and missed quite a bit compared to the other book.
I know this will probably get downvoted however the Comptia Linux+ certification will give you a lot of information when it comes to Linux that will apply to a lot of different distros for someone new. Load up a VM and run all the commands it suggests and if you are feeling pretty confident try for the cert!
My job is requiring more hands on with Linux/Open source so im starting with the Linux+ and then seeing if I can get my company to pay for something like the RHCSA. I have been working with Linux for a while now, however I have been picking up some things I didnt know going through the Linux+ book.
https://www.redhat.com/en/services/certification/rhcsa
I am using this book right now
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Linux-Powered-Professional-Institute/dp/1119021219/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452174296&sr=8-1&keywords=linux%2B
Also check out the reddit linux sub
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/
I'm using This book in my class and so far I like it. I think it goes through everything pretty decently. However it is a Textbook and thus cost about 10X more than it should.
Any of the Sybex guides should work.
A+ Resources Computing...
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The two best books on BGP:
BGP4: Inter-Domain Routing (slight
CiscoJuniper slant)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201379511/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Internet Routing Architectures (slight
JuniperCisco slant)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157870233X/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My comment would be that both books are somewhat old now. Everyone is running BGP4, some of the "someday in the future" comments have been old hat for a while, etc.
BIRD and Quagga are great and can be run in VMs for simulating BGP. I would suggest trying to build a small ISP network, with 2 "customers" that advertise routes and then figuring out how to send those to each customer properly.
This book comes out on Friday:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1260454037/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF
Since you've dipped your toes in the M$ stream, I would suggest working towards the 2012 MCSA. It's 3 exams and is the go to 'asked for' cert on sys admin jobs. Each exam is $150 and it will require you to lab on your own, among other things.
You mentioned Linux...the CompTIA Linux+ is comprised of two exams but you end up getting 4 or 5 certs altogether (but only 2 [L+ and LPIC-1] are worth a shit). If you've never worked with *nix before this one will be a challenge. Interesting fact: this cert never expires.
And then...the easiest of the beginner certs--CompTIA's Security+. This is also a standard for many junior security positions and is required for many federal government contracting gigs. Just buy Darril Gibson's book and watch Professor Messer's videos and you'll be good to go. This is only one exam.
The CCENT is the entry-level Cisco networking exam. I recommend Todd Lamle's book for that. Some might suggest getting CompTIA's Network+ first but I would recommend going straight for the CCENT, then CCNA if you like the material and want to get deeper into networking.
For all of these...yes, you will have to study. The MCSA 2012 will take the longest and the Security+ should be the shortest. Use your downtime wisely.
Edit: unless you're in a dire financial situation, certs are by far the easiest and most economical form of resume boosting...invest in yourself.
I would highly suggest getting an exam prep book such as this or this
Pay attention to concepts, not just memorization but ask yourself in what situations would these concepts apply. For example...when they discuss Business Continuity, understand why one plan would be better used in certain situations than another.
Pay attention to ports and protocols, incident response techniques, attack types. Don't get caught up in the nitty gritty, but have a baseline understanding of the differences between certain items in the same category (phishing techniques, malicious codes, different attack/defense types) and why someone might use one item vs another.
Some of it will be straight memorization, but a lot more of it will be concepts. Concepts Concepts Concepts!
Good luck, I felt completely underpreped when I took my test, a lot of my test prep kicked my ass. Even as I was taking the test there were times when I sat back, stared at my screen and wondered what the hell I was doing with my life. Ended up with a score in the high 800's...so this test is beatable...just make sure you put in the book time beforehand.
Edit: Also, look around here and on some other forums, the info on how to do well is out there, just go find it!
Not only are you misinformed but you refuse to acknowledge the works for prominent cryptographers. In the case you're actually willing to understand why you're wrong about pretty much everything, I encourage you to read: this and this and this. Or better yet, you can skip all of the above and just read this.
> Basically - get into automation and learn how to be more valuable to the higher-ups. What would you do?
I'll answer your question by outlining my year goal of education in the work place.
I'm doing leadership for engineering themed courses, with the goal to influence decisions and outcome.
I'm aiming to get some more specific and hands on coaching, to help talk to upper manglement.
Another take on it is this. If I was going back to the very start of my career and had 0 knowledge in my head (And it was present day). I'd target a few things:
What tools are you currently using? What method of learning do you prefer? What level of understanding do you have in relation to computer basics? Have you tried the search feature in this sub?
The top 3 resources for A+, N+ and S+ would likely be: Mike Meyers book, Messer videos, and examcompass. Meyers book is for those who prefer to read, Messer videos are for those who are visual learners, and examcompass is for those who like to 'do'.
Honestly, a single sentence asking for help with no background information leaves a lot to be desired. If you study how you post, maybe try putting a little more work in? I'm not trying to be mean, I'm being honest. While these certs cover IT basics that doesn't mean they are 'simple'.
I'm a math guy and fairly new to the subject, but I'm loving this book and see it recommended quite often:
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Modern-Cryptography-Principles-Protocols/dp/1584885513
Mike Meyers really is 'the guy' for Network+. I absolutely recommend any of his material(s). I read his book cover to cover in 2 weeks around 10 years ago and it really was absolutely everything I needed. I highly recommend getting the book as well as watching the videos to be honest:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387/
Oracle has a certification center that explains most of it, but it seems that the wikipedia article is quite good. The certification center can be found by selecting a country here.
In a nutshell you get a book such as this one and study it hard. This one is for Java 6. I'm uncertain if they have one for Java 7 (check the publisher's site).
You can take mock tests for free such as Java ranch's great free tests or use a professional one. I haven't paid for mock tests, but I have heard that Whiz lab's tests are good and close to the real thing.
Most of the reading material is aimed at the Java 6 test since the Java 7 one is very new, but that won't be a big problem. You can easily just learn the new things from 7 in addition to your book (it isn't that much of a difference in the context of this test). I took the Java 6 test using a Java 5 book and some additional reading.
It is also still possible to take the Java 6 test afaik. It might even be cheaper.
Buy a voucher for a test and when you are ready (make sure you are) you can take the test in one of their many test centers.
Edit: I'm uncertain, but you should check if you need to take the Associate test first. It's a very easy test, but sadly it costs money.
I assume SCJP? Back when I could get a raise for it, I passed my SCJP using Sierra/Bates
Micheal Meyers is the best This book alone will enable you to pass the tests. It's the best in my opinion. Good luck, it isn't too hard.
READ
Network+ Cert Guide
Cisco CCNA
Network Warrior
Packet Life
WATCH
How to use/install GNS3
CBTNuggets (Paid Training)
DO
GNS3
Packet Tracer + Labs (torrent)
Cisco CCNA Study Group
9tut.com Labs
Talk to an IT Recruiter
TekSystems
Tech Team
Robert Half
These are just a few examples, many more exist. Good luck!
Well don't just rely upon the working experience...
http://www.professormesser.com/n10-005-study-guide/
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-All---One-Guide/dp/0071789227/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421872668&sr=1-6&keywords=network%2B&pebp=1421872676529&peasin=71789227
Everyone's working experience is different and there are probably things you don't know that will be in the exam.
Everyone is telling you to get a different cert, but I say since you're asking about Network+ you should stay your course and get it. While CCNA is the gold standard that doesn't mean there's no reason to get a N+ or that it is somehow worthless. IMHO if you're going to be a general IT guy and not specialize in networks there isn't a reason to go through the hassle of a CCNA. Get your N+ to get your feet wet and build your confidence then decide whether you wish to go further with a CCNA/JNCIA. People seem to think they're magical golden tickets to Wonka's IT Factory, but the truth is they're not especially with no experience to back them.
To answer your actual question you can go with CBTNuggets and/or one of the Network+ Books to prepare. N+ isn't difficult and it will help you get a cert that is adequate to show someone who isn't a specialist is at least competent in general networking as well as build your confidence. Good luck!
Edit: If you ever watch videos or discussions by networking professionals if you look at their alphabet soup you will usually see Network+ right along with their CCNP/IE and other certs. It shows that even seasoned veterans still pick it up.
http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networks-Edition-Andrew-Tanenbaum/dp/0130661023
This is rather theoretical.
You mention a diverse set of topics, and you're probably not going to find any one book that covers all of them.
For algorithms for cryptography, signatures, protocols, etc. the definitive go to (last I checked) was still Schneier's Applied Cryptography.
For a history of cryptography, I'm fond of Kahn's The Codebreakers, but be forewarned that it is a large book.
For Network Security and Information Assurance concepts, I like Anderson's Security Engineering, but the state of the art changes so rapidly that it's difficult to recommend a book.
Don't concentrate on how your frames drop when everything is set to ultra. Figure out what matters most to you when adjusting the settings in FSX. Refrain from directly modifying your CFG files. Do not mess with your registry settings because one guy, 10 years ago, felt that changing an obscure key would magically fix stutters. Be mindful of all the addons you install. The more fancy airplanes and complex sceneries you install the slower your sim gets.
Apart from that, the virtual cockpit is where I do all my flying. Right click outside and click locked spot for smoother outside replays. The A2A Cessna 172 is awesome but not essential to learning how to operate the 172. Be prepared to create logins for Avsim, vatsim / Ivao and other websites that allow you to download airplanes and other addons. I recommend you upgrade from the joystick to a proper yoke. I run the CH eclipse yoke, throttle quadrant and rudder pedals. There are multiple apps you can get to complement your flight sim experience. My favorite is FlyByWifi fo iOS. I can manage radios, moving map, autopilot from my iPad. It gets old real quick trying to change frequencies using the mouse. Vatsim and Ivao are online ATC programs and you should look into them since they add to the realism of flight sim.
Take a look at this book if you have the time:
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222
Highly recommend this book!
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=flight+sim+book&qid=1564236032&s=gateway&sr=8-6
I have the book Microsoft Flight Simulator X for Pilots and it's helped me out with quite a few things as far as navigation and IFR.
You can find a lot of good tutorials on YouTube as well.
Depends how familiar you are with Linux in general, the content isn't too bad if you have familiarity with any flavor of Linux and can use vi/vim. If you're able to use some work time to study or you dedicate a lot of your free time to studying it can definitely be done in 2 months.
​
Did you check out the objectives to see what you think you might have down and what you need to study? I haven't used Red Hat's training but Sander Van Vugt's book (granted this is for RHEL 7, most exams are for 8 at this point and his book on 8 isn't out yet) has some good pre-chapter Do I Know This Already quizzes and post-chapter review and labs, plus practice exams.
RHCSA/RHCE Red Hat Linux Certification Study Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams EX200 & EX300) (Certification & Career - OMG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071841962/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.qoQzbMPYYEZT
Red Hat RHCSA/RHCE 7 Cert Guide: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (EX200 and EX300) (Certification Guide) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0789754053/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VsoQzbCCZTJ17
And lots of practice
Reading an A+ Cert book would be a good place to start.
More info on A+, what it is, what it covers, ect. ect.
Also, did an amazon search for computer engineering and found a whole bunch of books that also explain what you're looking for.
Find out whats on the exam here, just fill out the form. Then, buy a book. I used this one. Also, start watching the A+ videos on this site.
When you're ready, buy a test voucher (Google for best deal) and schedule a test at a Pearson VUE testing center.
Take test. Pass test.
Profit!
I'm in the midst of studying for A+ ("homework" from work) and it blows. I personally don't believe that you need to pay $2000+ for a 5-day course that just refreshes you on the basics and potentially, is an easier way to pass it (like taking a "school" for your driver's license, where they're more lenient than the DMV) versus self-study.
I'm using the official book, which ran me around $30 give/take on Amazon and another "guide" that was a Kindle book, which was like $10. The guide's more watered down that I thought, but better than the dense book.
Some people say that Professor Messer is decent, but I haven't really been able to do the "videos" because I'm a weirdo and I find shit in their voices and mannerisms that bug me, which throws my focus off.
Good luck!
Let me start by telling you that InfoSec jobs are in-demand now more than ever and that's not likely to change as more and more of the world are starting to use computers, computers continue advancing, etc. So, barring any sort of impending dark ages and assuming you're putting enough effort into your education and continuing education, you should be able to work your way up without too much trouble. Focus on getting your foot in the door and be professional.
 
Now then, I'm currently an Information Security Analyst in the US, so this information may be completely irrelevant to you out there in NZ. I initially only graduated with an Associate's (2-year) in Information Security & Computer Forensics. I managed to get my job before I had even graduated as I worked hard in school (a stressful amount, really) and knew how to conduct myself in a professional manner. They actually paid for my certifications, and a lot of companies out there will as well. Here's the tiered structure we followed - all InfoSec related certifications:
 
Within the first 6 months, we are sent to training to obtain our CompTIA Security+ certification. This is roughly a 1-hour, multiple choice test and you need at least an 80% to pass. I would recommend any of these three books to study from:
This is the book that my company had provided me to study from
This is the book my friend had given me. Both her and I studied from this and passed successfully
This is the book we are currently learning from in my Bachelor's program
Take your pick, they'll all achieve the same essentials, mostly. I am awful at studying and mainly just crammed the few topics I wasn't sure about in the night/morning before my test and passed with an 86%.
 
Next, we're sent to get our GSEC, which is the GIAC Security Essentials Certification. The Security+ focuses on several main topics and gets in-depth with the information, whereas GSEC covers a wide span of topics but doesn't get very in-depth. This test takes about 5 hours to complete also, compared to the 45 minutes that it took to take the Security+. It's important to note that the GSEC, while 5 hours long, is open-book. My company sent me to a training class that provided 6 different books to cover any topic on the GSEC, however you also need an index. The books themselves don't have a table-of-contents, so you need to make an index yourself that covers just about every topic on every page. In my case, a coworker sent me his that he had used, and it turns out it was out of date so not a single page was correct. Much to my own surprise, I passed with an 82% (the minimum passing score is 74%) so while the index/books are important - they're not completely necessary as long as you paid attention in your classes. It should also be noted that I did not actually study for this. Most of it was just common-sense stuff like "Which of the following does an Intrusion Prevention Device do?" and knowledge that I had obtained from school/work.
 
After GSEC is the GCIH, or, GIAC Certified Incident Handler. I haven't taken this yet, nor the next one, so I can't speak to their difficulty or process, but I've been told by other analysts it's roughly the same as GSEC, just different information and more hands-on like capture the flag runs.
 
Finally, after GCIH, we are sent to get our GCIA, or, GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst. Same with GCIH, I have not been sent to obtain this cert just yet, but I can only imagine it's somewhat similar to the last 2 as they follow GIAC's tiered structure.
 
So TLDR - as a current InfoSec Analyst - the recommended certs are Security+, GSEC, GCIH, and GCIA. There are many more certs out there, though, these are just the ones my company values currently.
 
Good luck!
I just took the exam this morning and had two sims. I say don't worry about it too much, as it was pretty basic actually. Make sure you do them last as they require a considerable amount of time.
My main book was Sybex Security+ Study Guide by Dulaney and Easttom. I read it cover to cover. The content was comprehensive, but in my opinion, it lacks the exam preparation. It has chapter tests, and downloadable files that consist of flashcard and two sample exams, but no sims.
Going back to my sims: In the first one, I had to configure ACLs; and the other one, I had to setup multifactor authentication. If you memorize the ports, at least the commonly used ones (eg. FTP, TFTP, SSH, SCP, LDAP, etc.) and know how to read IP addresses, you'll be fine.
I haven't read Gibson's book, but I read its preparation format is close to actual exam. I wish I had that material; my guess is I would have scored higher than what I got this morning.
Good luck!
I used this book and the CompTia Certmaster. I got the certmaster because I think I bought a second shot for exam retakes. I read the book and then did the certmaster for a month until I took the exam.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118875079/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
r/linuxadmin/
Slackware Linux Essentials
or for free
Linux Bible
CompTIA Linux+
My main source was the CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide: Exam LX0-103 and Exam LX0-104
CompTIA Linux+
However just make sure you know all of your commands/command line tools as well as the popular switches used with them. (Memorize them)
As well I went thru the Cybrary Course though it really doesn't have much content, it's just a quick overview of things.
I studied the Exam Objectives of the LPIC-1 101 and 102 on LPI since LPI and CompTIA came together on this cert I figured it would help. In which it did.
You can get the CompTIA certifications through self study. Took me 1 month and this book to get mine.
It took me about 3 months to get my Net+ (but I wasn't studying everyday like I did with the A+), using this book.
Both will help you in sprucing up your resume for applying to IT jobs and will only cost you the books and the exam costs. Best of luck out there!
Sounds like the A+ certification is going to be a good starting point for you. Besides working in the industry; the resources that helped me pass the exam are: Professor Messer IT Training Videos, CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-901 and 220-902 3rd Edition, access to practice tests, and as much hands on experience as you can get.
The following steps may help you prepare for the certification .
 
 
 
 
The study guides for the Solution Architect Associate and SysOps Associate exams. I have been using AWS for years and still reference these books now and then. They’re good for a beginner. You could also try the free AWS Cloud Practitioner course and exam.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Official Study Guide: Associate Exam (Aws Certified Solutions Architect Official: Associate Exam) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119138558/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cKS1Cb101HCVM
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Official Study Guide: Associate Exam https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119377420/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zKS1CbTFXAEQD
Don’t focus on the cert and focus on actually learning what you are doing and learning the concepts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/aws/comments/akrtl4/psa_focus_on_learning_aws_not_just_passing_the/?st=JRPPZF2O&sh=da5b0d79
Buy the official study guide for the Architect Associate and do each of the practice exercises.
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558
Do the same for Sysops
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-SysOps-Administrator-Official-Study/dp/1119377420
And Advanced Networking.
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Official-Study/dp/1119439833
Study multiple sources and walk through the demos with the videos - ACloudGuru and LinuxAcademy.
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558/
The Amazon trainer for the SA course that I took said that this book has the best questions for the tests.
Disclaimer - I work for AWS, creating training (but these are my opinions).
Have you checked https://www.aws.training/ ? They have tons of free courses, including several specific to certifications.
If you're studying for the solutions architect associate, there's an official study guide that I found super useful when preparing https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1UXOOLIOIPO3H&keywords=aws+certified+solutions+architect+official+study+guide&qid=1555292230&s=gateway&sprefix=certified+sol%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 (there are similar books for a couple other certs, but I haven't used them personally).
acloud.guru and LinuxAcademy.com (and another I can't remember) have courses available, they both looked good, not free.
Edx has a few courses, both from AWS and others https://www.edx.org/course?search_query=AWS they are free, or you can pay for access to exercises etc
Many of the official whitepapers are great https://aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/
I bought a single book, read it cover to cover and performing all the exercises and experimenting in code every chance I got. Then I read it again taking notes the second time. Finally I turned those notes into an outline and flashcards and studied them for probably 3 months solid before taking the test.
The 33 pages of notes I took can be found here
And the book I used is this one
Caution: this was 2011 that i took this test and it was for Java SE 6 which is way old now... but these notes are still pretty relevant.
For good all-round coverage towards A+ and basic networking knowledge, work through this book, and then read through this book (whether you take the test(s) or not). You might be able to find older editions in a library. Those are also good, but be aware that you will then need to read a bunch of PC mags for several weeks or months to bring yourself up to date. Or maybe you can also bring yourself up to date with Wikipedia. The commercial aspect of magazines however gives you a good idea of what's currently on the market -- something which Wikipedia doesn't necessarily do. So I'd recommend either older editions of the books from a library, and then following that up with a hefty pile of PC mags + Wikipedia, or the most recent editions of those books and maybe just two or three PC mags and just checking the odd thing online. That should get you a decent foundation. As to whether you'll then subsequently want to progress to more advanced (vendor) certifications such as the ones mentioned by the parent poster (and which ones of those) -- that'll be something you'll be best equipped to decide once you get there.
Because the server didn't ask nicely.
Seriously though it depends. Things like firewalls and NAT need to be taken into consideration. Probably the best way for you to start is probably with Network+ type of study materials.
Go through Professor Messer’s CompTIA Network+ videos. They’re free.
https://www.professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-006/n10-006-course-index/
If you really want a book, I thought this one was helpful:
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Guide-N10-005/dp/0071789227
From your post history I can see that you are in the general Portland, OR area. I did exactly what you are attempting to do, and here are my recommendations.
Remember this isn't a competition with anyone but yourself!
I'm currently the Meyers book and find it easy to follow, but there are others on Amazon that you can look at. Maybe there's a difference between books in his writing style? I found two A+ books to be boring because of the material. But that's just me.
I also plan on purchasing the Professor Messer Net+ .pdf study guide to supplement my own guide I will expand on, which is based on the CompTIA Exam Objectives.
I have heard a lot of great reviews of Computer Networks by Tanenbaum in terms of its ability to teach networking. Alternatively, you could get the 4th edition book a lot cheaper with the caveat that it is older and may not be completely up to date.
Security Engineering by Ross J. Anderson. It is very useful and gives you a 360-degree view from different industries from a security standpoint, this approach encourages you to think out of the box since some ideas from other industries can be useful in another.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0470068523/
You might want to invest in this book. It's about $20 on Amazon, and does a really good job of teaching you how to fly using MSFS.
Definitely GA. But before you purchase a payware plane, I'd consider buying a... book.
You can either go with Rod Machado lessons or try Microsoft Flight Simulator X For Pilots Real World Training. I personally went with the book and this is probably the best money ever spent. It really allowed me to get into actual simming (instead of just not crashing) and I like the pace on which it progresses.
You'll get a nice chunk of theory, then have a chance to practice all of it (there are downloadable fsx files available from publisher's site) and if that's not enough - there's a list of similar fsx lessons at the end of each chapter.
You'll start with the simplest Piper J-3 Cub and then move to Cessna 172 (and later to more complex planes). As soon as you're familiar witch stock 172, feel free to purchase A2A version. It is as good as they advertise. I get shivers down my back each time I start the engine.
Ok, I just passed the A+ a few weeks ago (didn't need it, but figured I needed something to get me over the hump and actually start getting my certs).
I used Mike Meyer's CompTIA Cert Guide (I took the 2009 version of the test btw)
I used Transcender test prep (it was provided for free as part of the 5 day class I took)
I watched all of the Professor Messor videos on youtube.
I took a class (more on this below)
I used Exam Cram
The first exam is the difficult one. It's not difficult in that you'll need to have a lot of experience or that the questions are tricky. It's difficult in the sense that you'll need to know a little about a LOT of stuff. For example, do you know how many pins are in a centronics cable? Do you know if it's serial or parallel? Do you know what device it's primarily used for? (36, parallel, printer) I studied for about 2-3 weeks pretty seriously (daily sample tests, questions, etc...did it during free time at work and after work at home). This study took place after I had read both of the books cover to cover (it's boring).
The second example (practical application) is cake walk if you've a) passed the essentials and b) have worked in IT support at all. Just a bunch of scenario questions. I studied about 3 hours for this exam.
I passed both exams on the first try about 2 months apart (I took a vacation in between).
The class was pointless knowledge wise. I've been in IT for a long time so it really was just for people who have ZERO experience. It helped since my work paid for the class and it included the Exam Cram book, transcender test prep access, and vouchers for both exams.
So to summarize my huge wall of text.
There will be people who disagree or study differently. More power to them. This is how it worked for me though. I will say that it's probably possible to pass the exam without doing some of this, but I really hate wasting money and would have been devastated if I had to re-take the exam.
Anyway. Here are some links. I'm sending you the 800 exam stuff since I imagine you'll be doing that instead of the 700 series (which is discontinued in a few months).
Mike Meyers
Exam Cram
Transcender test prep
Professor Messor videos
Obligatory Professor Messer link.
Those videos and a good book like this one or this one seem to do the trick for most people.
use www.professormesser.com
watch his videos and
buy his study guides
If you need more prep buy this book
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718
be warned though that if you wait too long they are changing the test at the begining of next year to include windows 8 and newer tech, the test will change from the 801 and 802 to 901 902 might have to brush up again if you wait too long. This isnt supposed to happen until like may 2015 though
Ok,
Now that I'm a bit more rested I'll do my best to answer your questions in detail.
With the videos obviously there are a set amount of hours, but what it typically did was study/take notes on a specific objective and then watched the videos afterwards to supplement any info I might have lost. (Toward the end of the objectives I only watched videos and took notes on those because my textbook was a bit lacking but we'll get to that)
Some people take both Exams at the same time and thats cool if you think you can then go for it, save yourself an extra trip. I decided to Study/pass one exam and then the other. The first exam took me over a year because i only studied off and on and that was for the 701/702 so then those went out and i started over. As for my actual exams they were EXACTLY 3 months apart, but that was just a happy coincidence.
For my study materials i used a combination of things. My textbook was
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Guide/dp/0789748509/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413033916&sr=1-13&keywords=a%2B+study+guide
It's a good book and i loved the software that came with it as you can add additional practice exams to it from other guides. It is a very in depth text and a bit less casual than the mike meyers books. My only gripe about this book is that it doesn't cover the objectives in order so you'll wind up flipping through looking for data on a specific subject alot. (hence why i just switched to videos toward the end)
for practice exams i used this
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=05FH7YZJ8527K4AGNB9B
The practice exams in this book are amazing and the cheat sheet in the back is pretty helpful as well. Also all of the practice exams are also on a disc so you can take them on a computer or laptop if you wish.
Finally when you start drilling the practice exams head to
http://www.examcompass.com/ they offer 10 short and sweet practice exams that you can even take on your phone.
Studying is fairly simple. If you haven't already you should start with downloading and printing out the exam objectives found here.
801- http://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia_a_220-801_objectives.pdf
802- http://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia_a_220-802_objectives.pdf
then just start at the top and work your way down. When you reach the point that you think you could easily explain each point to someone else properly then you're probably safe to move ahead. TAKE YOUR TIME do a little each day trust me it's wayyyyyyyyy to much data to just shove in your head all at once. What i did was take notes on all the objectives using the videos afterward, then once I'd reviewed everything i started drilling practice exams. Once i started scoring at least 90% I would buy my vouchers and schedule my test about a week ahead of time.
The test itself can be a bit intimidating but just take your time and read everything in detail. There will be some performance based simulations (i'm not sure how much detail i can go into with those) suffice to say if your confident in your knowledge then you'll be able to complete them. Worst case just flag them for later and skip ahead to the multi choice questions, flag anything you're not sure of so you can double check it at the end of the exam.
Lastly people very rarely pay the full 188 for the voucher comptia usually offers a 10% off coupon on their website. if you google it i'm sure you'll find it.
In conclusion If you want to test in a week go over the exam objectives and cross off the subjects that you know like the back of your hand. and study up on the ones that you don't. Don't let the exam room intimidate you when you go to test. It's just another practice exam just with uglier lighting :P
I hope this has helped you at least a little. happy studying and good luck!
I liked the exam cram book.
I highly recommend using Sander Van Vugt's RHCSA/RHCE 7 book. I passed both exams from start of reading page 1 to passing 2mo on each. His book is comprehensive and covers the whole gambit of both exams. But, it doesn't hurt to seek more sources of information.
https://www.amazon.com/RHCSA-RHCE-Cert-Guide-Certification/dp/0789754053/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sander+van+vugt+rhcsa&tag=hotogobr-20&qid=1561254657&s=gateway&sr=8-1
Set yourself up on VirtualBox ( https://www.virtualbox.org/ ). Create a bridged network to make networking easy. Make sure you sign up for a RH developer account and get the free 1 yr subscription (can renew each year) for a copy of RHEL. While CentOS is binary-compatible, I've run into some oddities with configurations and such while studying for the exams. Practice practice practice. Break things (it's only a lab VM!).
You're probably going to want to setup multiple VMs (at least 2) to toy around with things like SSH, pubkeys, SCP, Samba, NFS, and other network services. If you plan to go on to RHCE, you'll definitely want to setup a FreeIPA VM for LDAP and Kerberos-related stuff. Even the RHCSA touches on connecting a client to an LDAP authentication service.
As /u/Lisenet said, practice with a home lab environment is incredibly important. I personally found linuxacademy.com to be great for learning purposes. For my RHCSA, I used a combination of linuxacademy, small homelab, and 1 book (https://www.amazon.com/RHCSA-RHCE-Cert-Guide-Certification/dp/0789754053).
​
I am now using those same resources to prepare for my RHCE exam.
​
Once you get a basic handle on everything, repetition of the exercises is the biggest help. Best of luck!
Probably the new versions of the exam-prep books will be published in January or February.
I took the beta version of the new exam during October, and I'm pretty confident that I passed it.
Some of my preparation steps were:
(0) I had one of my PCs that already had Ubuntu 18.04 on it, on which I could practice some commands (I later put CentOS 7 on that PC instead). You can also get pre-built VMs from osboxes.org which you can run in VirtualBox. Or you could download an ISO, burn that to a DVD-R, create an empty VM, and practice the installation process.
(1) I learned many commands and their command-line options from "Linux Pocket Guide - Essential Commands, 3rd edition" by Daniel Barrett published by O'Reilly. I had heard that the current CompTIA Linux+ exams want you to know many command-line options and what they do.
(2) I learned topics for the current version of the exam from "LPIC-1 Study Guide, 4th ed." by Christine Bresnahan and Richard Blum, published by Sybex. See also my post where I evaluated books to prepare for the current version of the exam.
(3) I downloaded the PDF with the beta exam objectives
(4) For some topic areas that are on the new exam and not on the current exam, I read the chapters in this book by Sander Van Vugt about the Red Hat certification exams to get a basic understanding of those topics and learn the main commands for those topics. I liked that book; it has short chapters and is written in an easy style.
(5) For some things listed on the beta exam objectives, I also looked at the 'man' pages and read the Wikipedia articles about those things.
(6) I had previously passed the Network+ exam, and I think my understanding of networking helped with some of the questions on the beta exam.
(7) I registered for a free account at LinuxAcademy.com, and one of the courses available at the free level was named "Git Quick Start" (or something like that), which helped me prepare for the Git-related questions on the beta exam.
I had purchased This book. Which was a fantastic reference for when I struggled with questions doing practice exams from examcollection.com. I highly reccomend the VCE Exam Simulator software and the exams provided at examcollection.com I also watched a handful of professor messer videos on YouTube when I realized I needed to brush up on an area. In my opinion the simulations are the more difficult portion of the exam. They were also the very first questions I had to answer. This really threw me for a loop, most tests I've taken in my college career the open ended questions are at then end of the exam.
When I started the second exam I flagged all of the simulations and answered them once I had finished all of the multiple choice questions.
I flagged a LOT of questions that weren't obvious to meat first, but after I had completed the remaining questions most seemed obvious at second glance.
If you're talking about the CompTIA A+ certification, it wasn't too difficult. The one things that you need to know about that you may not is printers, and some command line information. I would recommend picking up a study book, like this one and looking through it. Not everything in there will be asked on the test, but it is all good information to know, even if it is a little outdated.
This is the one I used: http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-220-801/dp/1118324056
There's a newer version available as well for the 900 series.
I have CompTIA Network +, Security +, and Apple OSx Certified Support Professional.
Best way to get them is just to study by purchasing the books.
[Network +] (https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Study-Guide-Authorized/dp/1119021243/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473465885&sr=1-2&keywords=network+%2B)
Security +
ACSP
You can schedule the CompTIA certifications here
You can schedule the Apple certifications [here] (http://training.apple.com/)
You only really need Security + to get a DoD job, however, the most certs you have, the better you look in the eyes of potential employers. Most people I've worked with have never touched a Mac, but support clientele that work on Macs, so having a Mac cert is a big plus, but not at all required.
If you get a Sec+, and have a decent understanding of computers and troubleshooting, you'll find a nice entry level job normally working Helpdesk.
Studying is MOSTLY FREE. Cannot provide cheating test sites here. Go to the CompTIA website to get the actual test exam outline - print that out please, and supplement with these videos from Professor Messer $FREE and you will need to jot down notes as you go. This is not enough to pass the test(s). You'll also need to get an official study guide book $20 as reading material to go into the details. Coupled with taking notes during the videos and fleshing out the outline from CompTIA you should hit all the possible ways to study. CompTIA offers this $free trial through one of their partners. I also like Mike Meyer's writing style $31 as an alternative.
You should look into getting your Linux+. Here's the study guide.
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Linux-Powered-Professional-Institute/dp/1119021219/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
I used this book: https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Linux-Powered-Professional-Institute/dp/1119021219
Worked good enough with questions after each chapter. Pretty ok to do the 60 questions multiple choice exam back in december 2016.
Comptia Linux +
https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/linux
Study with Linux academy and get this book
https://linuxacademy.comand
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1119021219/ref=mh_s9_acsd_top_b1CMe_c_x_2_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-3&pf_rd_r=1H3ECP5XJXW9XCTEM04Z&pf_rd_r=1H3ECP5XJXW9XCTEM04Z&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=c0a55260-0bdf-5469-ad92-325c3b4456d6&pf_rd_p=c0a55260-0bdf-5469-ad92-325c3b4456d6&pf_rd_i=285860
And then once you think your ready practice a lot so everything is second nature. Then find a Pearson View center near you to take the tests. It's two tests. This is not easy BTW. Took me 4 months of studying, with 2 of those months being full time.
IMHO troubleshooting requires more in-depth knowledge than other parts. I am a bit surprised.
For security
---
Also have you watched the acloudguru course for this certification? I haven't but lots of people say their course is quite good.
Starting with the solution architect associate, I recommend this book.
this official study guide comes with a lot of sample tests to help for the real test.
About how difficult is the exam... depends your level/experience with AWS, everyone is different, if you are a guru already, it should be ok for you but it's not easy easy...
acloud.guru is... the reference, those guys are really good to help you pass the certification. (you can find the same course from acloud.guru in Udemy for 10$, then claim it to their website if you wish)
most of the questions are from the FAQs, so read them and read them again and... understand them as well :).
First try, but I did developer first. I believe the general consensus is that developer is easier, so I did it first to get familiar with the format and test taking experience. I also had about 3 years AWS exp. at that point.
Not sure if you have tried yet, but if you failed don't be discouraged. SA is very scenario based and you simply need to pick the best answer for the scenario. I think you end up adopting an AWS mindset once you pick up on some tenants and idioms of the various training materials.
BTW, Amazon has an official SA study guide now which didn't exist when I got mine: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558
best way for beginners is to get the book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558
study up over say 3 months and then pass the aws certified solution architect exam.
Interview questions are all a bit of luck. Sometimes they ask questions you know and sometimes you don't but you only need one job offer so just be persistent. -)
google for aws interview questions and remind yourself before an interview.
Probably the study guide. Link for reference.
https://www.amazon.com/CCNA-ICND2-Study-Guide-200-105/dp/1119290988/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511218415&sr=8-1&keywords=todd+lammle+200-105
Todd Lammles books do a great job.
ICND2 200-105 Study Guide
The newest series is $35 on Amazon. I also really like the Exam Cram book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1260454037/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile
I used this one:
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Certified-Ahead-SY0-301/dp/1463762364/ref=la_B001IOH64U_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407252539&sr=1-9
Its important to note that they have a newer version of the test out (SY0-401). Right now you can take either version, but after December you won't be able to take the test that this study guide was written for (SY0-301). Darril Gibson hasn't released a book for the new version of the test, but he probably will soon.
When I was studying for the Security+ test, I kept going over all of the practice questions in the book until I could get at least 98% of them right. Overall, it took about 2 months of studying. I ended up getting an 851 (94%) on the test.
Sec+ scheduled for Jan 15. Currently reading a book and using CertMaster. Get this book, and if you have funding for it, get CompTIA CertMaster Security+. I used it when studying for the Network+ (along with Mike Meyers' Net+ book) and it was invaluable. Info actually sticks in your head, and the way the questions are worded is startlingly similar to the exam.
Don't get me wrong- BackTrack, Kali, Pentoo, etc. are all amazing tools but to recommend this to someone coming from a helpdesk role might be a bit much to grasp.
Learning how to work with the distros and the wide range of tools is great but you have to learn about the theories behind analyzing protecting the infrastructure and software.
OP, you might start with some books (these have helped me a lot in my career in security)-
CompTIA Security+ Study Guide (not a bad book and the cert is easy, provides the basics of IT security)
The Basics of Information Security: Understanding the Fundamentals of InfoSec in Theory and Practice (an easy read)
Gray Hat Hacking The Ethical Hackers Handbook (is an intro to the security world and a lot of info, more in-depth)
IT Security is an awesome field and like most IT is has many separate areas within it to learn.
Check out the links below for more info on training (there are others available these are just ones I've used and SANS has a lot of additional resoures)-
SANS Institute
InfoSec Institute
this book is good to get a grasp of modern yet "established" crypto
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Modern-Cryptography-Principles-Protocols/dp/1584885513
As /u/dark15 said, Network Warrior is a great read. Also check out:
Internet Routing Architectures and TCP/IP Illustrated
Katz and Lindell is the undergrad gold standard on intro cryptography. Goldreich is a good graduate-level intro if Katz and Lindell is too basic. Goldreich also has a second volume.
Most modern ciphers don't really use math in the same way as the day of old (at least when you're talking about private key encryption) and the math of public key encryption (at least for starters) is pretty basic. Some elementary number theory concepts which you've likely learned in discrete math should be enough to understand a treatment of RSA that doesn't spend too much time talking about abstract algebra.
In terms of a way forward a lot of this depends on what stuff you really want to do. Designing new crypto is extremely tough and is heavily scrutinized and implementing it is no different. If you want to honestly try and design something usable you definitely need a background in theoretical crypto and I highly recommend the book Introduction to Modern Cryptography. https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Modern-Cryptography-Principles-Protocols/dp/1584885513 There's a newer edition but I can't speak to the differences. This book is an excellent read for anyone interested in the art of Cryptographic proof.
If you are interested in the more implementation/security route of things taking a course on Computer Security is helpful although I'm not sure if this is what you're really interested in. I personaly was much more into pure Crypto until I started studying actual Security concepts and now I love both. There's something super satisfying about understanding buffer overflows and pretty much everything else in security enough to actually execute an attack. DISCLAIMER Don't attack a system you don't have permission to attack. It's illegal, you will get caught, and it won't be worth it. If you want to practice actual hacking in a legal way look into OWASP.
Let's go at this in an order that I feel is appropriate:
Frames Per Second (FPS) are how many frames of an image that is being loaded, rendered, and output to the screen at a given time, specifically seconds. A number, which for most computers and applications is around 1-100+, represent the amount of frames that were loaded in the current second. More things to render means that it will take more power from the graphics processor (GPU) to load the image in front of you. More particles, more 3D objects, and even more moving "entities" and "objects" can create difficulty on the GPU. Adversely, if the GPU is too powerful, and your graphics are too low, it will overcompensate and take longer to create frames, resulting in a choppier/"laggy" screen.
FPS is basically summarized as, "how smooth the video is run." 60fps is always optimal.
In short, Comparing CPUs/GPUs is simply comparing numbers. They both have a "clock speed" measured in Hertz (typically Gigahertz). A CPU is best represented through Clock Speed, Cores, Hyperthreading (Threads), and performance, the last is best measured through real performance tests viewable on most websites. cpuboss.com is one such way to determine the stats and comparison between two CPU chips, and rough estimates for benchmarks.
Graphics Cards (GPUs) are a little crazier. They're measured best by their clock speed, Floating Point Operations Per Second (GFLOPS), Rendering Processors, and RAM. Yes, GPUs have their own RAM. They eat it like spaghetti. Gpucheck has a fairly comprehensive comparison list based on average framerates (FPS) for each card. Obviously, more is better.
It's also good to note that there are Server cards, or Workstation cards, that are usually modified versions of existing consumer graphics cards for certain kinds of performance. In most instances they're much more expensive because of their optimization, but not much else.
Overclocking is the art of pushing the technology to their limit. I don't know too much about it personally due to some of my own concerns.
Linus Tech Tips also has many videos on Comparisons and Build guides, and overclock guides. I'd recommend him first and foremost due to the in-depth level he and his crew ensure for content. Just search on their page "Overclock" and there's a few full-fledged guides.
Everything else is best learned by actually looking it up and having real-world examples. The best place to find just about all of that information is the CompTIA A+ books. The one authored by Mike Meyers is a popular choice. You don't have to take the test accompanied with it, but the book is full of everything you might have questions about, and considered must-know for most techs. I have the Exam Cram variant, and it has everything in the aforementioned copy in a more textbook-like style.
Hope this helped!
Your most important starting step is to make sure that you have the foundational knowledge, at least at a conceptual level. I'm a big fan of books, so I would recommend a few to you.
Pick ONE of these. Exam is not necessary, but recommended:
Mike Meyers CompTIA Network+ All-in-One Exam Guide
Todd Lammle's CCENT Study Guide - ICND1
Pick ONE of these. Pay attention to business terminology as well. Again, exam is not necessary, but recommended:
Mike Meyers CompTIA Security+ Certification - SY0-501
CompTIA Security+ All-in-One Exam Guide
Darril Gibson SSCP All-in-One Exam Guide
100% read this. It's the Bible of Python scripting. Second edition is brand spanking new too:
Automate the Boring Stuff with Python
This is a good all-around Penetration Testing book that teaches Linux too. You don't *have* to use Kali, Ubuntu is probably less intimidating to those new to Linux, but you will have to install your own software/packages. This is the only book on this list I haven't read, but I often see it recommended:
Penetration Testing: A Hands-on Introduction to Hacking
While you read these books, you should install some kind of Linux distro on a home computer and use it for practice. I would also recommend doing HackTheBox(first challenge is to hack the login page) and starting with the easy boxes. Do as much as you can on your own first, but if you get stuck, watch IppSec's YouTube walk-through for the box you are on. Might be a bit overwhelming until you get through most of the books on that list though.
You should also start looking towards either the eJPT/eCPPT, the OSCP, or GPEN at this point, as those are the best value certifications in this field and will hold a lot of weight at an interview. There's some stigma with certifications in IT/CS, but the ones I listed are all baseline knowledge and/or high value for those in this field. At the very least the knowledge will go far. But definitely avoid anything from EC-Council like the plague.
I strongly recommend the Comptia Network+ Exam Book. I've had it for a while now, and you will learn quite litterly everything there is to know about the backbone of networking and the internet. It's meant as a preparation for the CompTIA Network+ Certification, which certifies you are competent enough to work in a networking environment, and is very comprehensive (~ 600 pages). It was invaluable for my positions in cybersecurity.
Time commitment would be a few weeks if you study at least an hour a day. all the info for it can be found on youtube videos[1], but I prefer a book for studying[2]. The test $219 and it's actually 2 exams.
This is the academic store that you can buy discounted exam vouchers from at the cheapest price. Requires a .edu email and you can only buy one voucher per test. You cannot buy retake vouchers at the discounted price.
https://academic-store.comptia.org/certification-vouchers/c/11332
The academic store will give you a coupon code that you will use to redeem your exam when registering for the day you will take it.
https://home.pearsonvue.com/comptia
It is suggested to schedule your exam date few weeks out and to arrive a half hour early before your scheduled exam time. Make sure to bring all forms of ID required for the test.
https://www.weber.edu/TestingCenter/lindquist.html
Students should prepare for the exam by going over the course objectives and making sure they adequately understand each subject on these sheets.
Official Sec+
https://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia-security-sy0-501-exam-objectives.pdf
Unofficial Sec+
https://www.certblaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CompTIA-Security-SY0-501-Exam-Objectives.pdf
Official Network+
https://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia-network-n10-007-v-3-0-exam-objectives.pdf
I would suggest you do not purchase the official study guides and labs offered by the CompTIA store because many people have had mixed opinions on their cost and effectiveness and find them to be useless.
I would suggest using free sources such as Professor Messer and other books with practice exams such as the "CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-501 Study Guide" . Professor Messer has monthly online study groups to personally ask questions from for free, he also has free videos that take you through every aspect of the test.
Security+
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1939136059/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BADzCbXJR8TGC
https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-501/sy0-501-training-course/
Networking+
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1260122387/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HCDzCbXY08434
https://www.professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-007/n10-007-training-course/
Each certification test is comprised of a maximum of 90 questions on a 90 minute test that requires a passing score of 720 out of 900. The test will include common networking or security tools, Linux and Windows command line commands and theoretical and implementation questions. The test may also include common port numbers used by everyday services so knowing a large amount of them will help during the test.
The test will also include performance based questions such as dragging and dropping, matching, etc.
https://www.examcompass.com/comptia/network-plus-certification/free-network-plus-practice-tests#
https://www.examcompass.com/comptia/security-plus-certification/free-security-plus-practice-tests#
https://crucialexams.com/exams/comptia/security+/sy0-501/
The CompTIA tests are designed to be rigorous and intense, during the exam, you may feel like you are performing terrible and are about to fail, but you may be doing just fine. The test is designed to make you doubt yourself and sweat.
You only need the minimum to pass. A 721 score is the same as a 870 score.
If you study hard and know everything on the CompTIA lists and their intracacies, you will pass
Pass4Sure is a brain dump site. Their test banks are the actual questions from the real test question bank, based on people who memorized the questions and reported them to Pass4Sure.
Using brain dumps is cheating, and if you get caught using dumps your certs can be invalidated. Don't cheat on tests, and don't contribute to brain dumps.
I used this book (or the current edition of it at the time) to pass Network+.
Everybody raves about the Mike Myers video series. He also writes a book to accompany it with the McGraw hill company. Amazon prime has it for a great price. There are two different versions, one just the book and one is the book with some additional features such as practice tests and simulations.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=comptia+a%2B+all+in+one+tenth+edition&qid=1565928176&s=gateway&sprefix=comptia+A%2B+all+&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUUVIV0dTQjdFN0RKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODE1NzA4MzBFODA1WDhEOEtYMyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTU4MDM2ODhNQlE5MkFWOEc2JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Premium-Bundle-Performance-Based/dp/1260458229/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=comptia+a%2B+all+in+one+tenth+edition+premium+bundle&qid=1565928268&s=gateway&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1337288780/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This was the book I used. I originally rented it for a class, but had to change my schedule up so I just decided to keep it and start studying. I would definitely read another though. Or watch Professor Messers videos if I were to study again. I feel like the book I used was really good, but I definitely would have been more prepared had I used another dedicated study material. Had I rented a second book, I would have rented this one
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322/ref=sr_1_5?crid=14IBV4EVTTAYM&keywords=comptia+security%2B&qid=1562432800&s=books&sprefix=comptia%2Cstripbooks%2C171&sr=1-5
I used their COMPTIA IT Essentials book and I thought it was very good. Those would be my personal recommendations for books, because they are what I am familiar with. I think if you can, you should absolutely watch Messer's videos though. They are really amazing.
Most people will recommend starting with the CompTia A+ Certification. I'd also recommend it, I really believe it helped me get my first IT job.
After A+ you'll probably get a lot of different opinions and really depends on what niche of IT you want to go into. Having said that I'd recommend going for the CompTia Trifecta and going for Network+ and Security+ before moving on to vendor specific certs.
This material helped me the most in studying for A+:
CompTia A+ Certification All-in-One
This Udemy course
I used Modern Cryptography for a crypto class I took, and I liked the book.
Disclaimer: we used the book because the professor was one of the authors.
I have the same question. I'm partial to this one:
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518405572&sr=8-3&keywords=security%2B
But it only comes in CD-ROM or Kindle format. I managed to find the hard cover edition on McGraw Hill's site and CompTia's own online shop but the cost of having it shipped to Canada is too high for my taste. Anyone know of a place I can pick this up in Canada?
Oi. Disclaimer: I haven't bought a book in the field in a while, so there might be some new greats that I'm not familiar with. Also, I'm old and have no memory, so I may very well have forgotten some greats. But here is what I can recommend.
I got my start with Koblitz's Course in Number Theory and Cryptography and Schneier's Applied Cryptography. Schneier's is a bit basic, outdated, and erroneous in spots, and the guy is annoying as fuck, but it's still a pretty darned good intro to the field.
If you're strong at math (and computation and complexity theory) then Oded Goldreich's Foundations of Cryptography Volume 1 and Volume 2 are outstanding. If you're not so strong in those areas, you may want to come up to speed with the help of Sipser and Moret first.
Also, if you need to shore up your number theory and algebra, Victor Shoup is the man.
At this point, you ought to have a pretty good base for building on by reading research papers.
One other note, two books that I've not looked at but are written by people I really respect Introduction to Modern Cryptography by Katz and Lindell and Computational Complexity: A Modern Approach by Arora and Barak.
Hope that helps.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1540824481&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=security%2B+sy0-501
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387
Anyone have? $5. I had the PDF from a friend but hes away until tomorrow and I could use it today
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387
Since you specifically requested a book, here's a book:
This is the Network+ Study guide. Buy it, learn networking, pass the exam. Honestly, everything in here is actually on the internet for free, but if you want it all in one place for convenience, this is a good start.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387/ref=zg_bs_491302_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CJ9BJXWZVSBP5WG98C28
Here ya go: https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387/
Or you can try to narrow your request a little.
Can you pass a drug test and do you have a clean record? If so, get your Comptia Security+ 501 certificate. It is required for any government IT job which is probably one of he biggest employers here in the Springs. Every video instruction you need is free on youtube. The books are $35 on amazon. You can get discounted test certificates here. Sec+501 took me maybe a month of studying to pass, and getting it will open up more doors for you in the IT field in this town than any other certificate, so long as you meet the requirements in my first sentence. The clearance may or may not be a necessity depending on where you go. On base might be difficult, but there are more jobs than you think out there for government contracting. DOD, DHS, and numerous other agencies all have contracting jobs readily available in this town. But you need Sec+.
As others have mentioned, CCNA will get your started with the basics. After that it's going to depend on what your job's focus is. These are my top 3 recommended readings for anyone getting into networking.
For the Total Tester 6.2, that comes with the this book. I did not buy the book, but a colleague of mine bought it, and he lend me the disc. I'm thinking, "great more test practice questions to try", and it came with a PDF of the book, so I can look at different explanation. There has been another one regarding threat actors that did not make any sense as well. Since the book, as far as I know, is the only one with definitions for structured threats, but there is no matrix on regarding what threat actors are unstructured, structured and high structured, unless you go into the part in the book to explain that.
I have watch the PluralSight videos, not Prof. Messer, and there was no matrix I can find on the different structures of threats. I am thinking to myself, am I that bad at these tests.
You are a complete idiot, arent you?
> Nobody mentioned DNS except for you. This has absolutely zero to do with the topic at hand. You're just trying to railroad the conversation as a tactic to muddle a very straightforward issue. Latency also has zero to do with DNS.
You're right on that, I used the wrong terminology, the concept is still correct, though. VPNs and moving data around are still incredibly relevant, as that is what Cox is doing. So if talking about the subject of the article is irrelevant, then what are we talking about?
> When ISPs capture and modify packets to inject their own ads, trackers, or data in them
I cant take you serious after that. You can call me out for using incorrect terminology, but at least the core concept was correct. I'll try though.
> They already do this. Most notably after they were given tax cuts and NN was rolled back, and the industry fired thousands of employees late last year, this is exactly what they did. But why stop there? Shareholders are thirsty!
You still failed to explain why they would intentionally put more work creating fast lanes when they could just increase the price to whatever they want.
> You are clearly an uneducated ISP shill.
I havent opposed net neutrality once. I have only opposed people blindly hating VPNs.
> You have zero technical knowledge and are simply blurting things that sound technical from a script.
I might suggest some good reads so that you can inform yourself on the issue. You clearly have no knowledge on the matter. That is a link to an entry level book about Networking, you dont even have to get halfway through the book before everything you claimed is easily disproven. If you dont trust me on the matter, then you can read it for yourself. Once you are properly informed on the matter, then I am sure this conversation can take a constructive turn, but before that point, there is no reason to continue.
I'm using
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1260454037/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I forgot to mention that I'm in Canada, which sucks because that's so much cheaper than our version!
https://www.amazon.ca/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q7T8FA6XJD3VPPN5JH13
Or the Meyers all in one book
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1260454037/ref=sspa_mw_detail_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Not sure what you're looking at, it says sold by Amazon for me, and I pre-ordered it a few months ago.
Try this link maybe?
Should I get this edition instead?
CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Tenth Edition (Exams 220-1001 & 220-1002) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1260454037/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fPYxCbCA3PAXJ
This book? http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Certified-Ahead-SY0-301/dp/1463762364
Security+ is a pretty easy certification, I'd go after that one first. I used [this] (http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Certified-Ahead-SY0-301/dp/1463762364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372795599&sr=1-1) book to study for it, took about a week to prepare.
Great News! I passed my exam yesterday! The materials I used to study was Mike Myers CompTIA A+ Certification Exam Book 1001 & 1002 textbook, Professor Messer Youtube Videos (1001 series videos), Mike Myers Total Seminars Training, and I am currently attend college for my IT associate degree. I took notes as I read Mike Myers books, Mike gives you exam tips which is very helpful. I also took notes while watching professor messer videos on YouTube. The day of the test I was nervous, my testing location was strict I had to take out any items in pocket and take item like my wrist watch off and leave it in the locker. Every topic you learn will help you but the exam is very heavy on troubleshooting. I had a total of 78 questions. Surprisingly not one printer question was asked expect connection issues. My advice to anyone is to read the text book watch the videos but be perpare that the questions the exam ask is all troubleshooting. Read the questions carefully and re-read if you must. Flag questions you are not sure about and come back to them later. I save the simulation questions for last. I wanted to get the rest of the questions out of the way first. Get hands on experience on the information the text book and videos teaches you. Remember K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid) when thinking of chosing the correct answer.
That's my take on the exam. I plan to use the same study strategies for my 1002 exam. Good luck and keep a positive mind and you will do fine!
Study Materials Link:
(Mike Myers Textbook)
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mike+myers+1001&qid=1565728603&s=gateway&sr=8-1
(Professor Messer Videos)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS9MJjNK6gA&list=PLG49S3nxzAnlGHY8ObL8DiyP3AIu9vd3K
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1463762364/ref=od_img_link_refresh_T1
I was recommended this book and I've only had a quick skim through it as I am trying to get more employibility through other avenues and then start studying for it. But it seems well laid out and easy to read. It also has a lot of great reviews
This book tends to be ISP or IP transport centric, but it's got a ton of good into. Internet Routing Architectures
CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Tenth Edition (Exams 220-1001 & 220-1002)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1260454037/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9YSoDb5202J73
Network Algorithmics
BGP Design and Implementation. I brought this on a boat, had drank two very, very large margaritas, and dropped it in the ocean. Re-ordered from Amazon before the boat returned to dock.
Internet Routing Architectures
Now here's the thing to keep in mind: it was 13 years ago when I started getting serious about networking. I'm sure if I was starting now I'd have read/bought probably a third less books, and probably a few different ones. My mantra has always been trying to really understand the foundations of protocols -- a very, very strong mental model. I'd say out of those books up there, Network Algorithmics was the most mentally invigorating. There's another Cisco Press book that goes over IOS and the GSR internals that's also a wonderful (if now a bit outdated) read.
I was once in a similar boat. I bought many java books and hardly learned anything because those books were crap. This is the best book I've seen, easy to understand and comprehensive:
http://www.amazon.com/SCJP-Certified-Programmer-Java-310-065/dp/0071591060/ref=sr_1_6?s=textbooks-trade-in&ie=UTF8&qid=1404940645&sr=1-6&keywords=java+certification
It's an old version but seems like the new version for Java 7 is not out yet. Anyway, another route maybe is for you to take java certification exam?
Here you go
Are you speaking about a class dedicated to the exam, or a university class covering object-oriented programming using Java?
If it is the former, you will most likely be using a Java certification prep book. This is the book I used for Java 6 certification. I simply studied the book and left my IDE open to play with the concepts and did not take any formal classes and passed easily.
If you are talking about a University course on Java, then no, it would not be enough and you would need to get the prep book.
Regarding what it covers, you are mainly looking at the Java core, which in your example would not include swing graphics.
Poti sa faci zece scoli recunoscute de industria IT... egale cu zero daca nu ai proiectele tale de aratat. Iti trebuie o licenta in IT daca vrei sa beneficiezi de neimpozitarea salariului. Multi din cei care lucreaza la ora actuala nu au apucat sa ia licenta/termine facultatea pentru ca lucreaza +10 ore pe zi.
Codeacademy e un loc de unde poti incepe usurel cu python eventual cu html si javascript. W3schools SQL si ASP. Plus cele de mai sus. Sunt aplicatii la tona pe android.
Cel mai recent cineva care lucreaza ca trainer in Iasi mi-a recomandat http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0071591060/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/192-9362406-7889364 sau non mobile http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071591060/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/192-9362406-7889364 ca sa invat java (nu e tocmai pt beginners)
Daca e musai musai o scoala inscrie-te la o facultate de profil din apropiere si intre timp lucreaza in minunata industrie. Daca ai deja o facultate fa un master de specializare ptc dureaza 2 ani in loc de 3.
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071591060/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/192-9362406-7889364
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
Buy the right book
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Seventh-220-701-220-702/dp/0071701338/ref=dp_ob_title_bk/177-3252212-2199309
Read it,
Take the practice test over and over and over until you score at least 95%
This is the one.
yes it would! as long as youeither have support for raid on your motherboard (quite likely), or a raid card for the use of even more hard drives for raid. Also get this book if you are serious about learning computers get this book. http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Seventh-220-701-220-702/dp/0071701338/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313463384&sr=1-1
I picked up this guy and just finished reading through it. Fantastic, easy to read book.
I'm at the point where I need to find some good ways to practice for the tests themselves. Gotta cram that material into my head before the tests.
I used a version of Mike Myer's CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide about 12 years ago to past my A+. The test has changed a lot in the last decade. Get this book a try.
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Seventh-220-701-220-702/dp/0071701338/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
As just about everyone has said, Mike Myer's book works quite well. I just went for my certification within the past couple months, after putting it off for years (got my previous job before I got the cert, so there wasn't incentive to actually test). My wife is now going through the book to learn more about how things work, and the biggest thing keeping her going is the style of writing for the book - it's not nearly as monotonous as you would expect from a tech writing.
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Seventh-220-701-220-702/dp/0071701338/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
I bought Mike Meyer's A+ certification book from Amazon, read through it, downloaded some practice questions from BitTorrent, took the test and passed with flying colors.
Book: Click Here
I found Mike Myers' A+ Certification manual to be the easiest to read all around manual that will give you basic knowledge of computers. He starts with simple analogies, and works through up to modern computers and their internal parts. Even if you have no interest in getting an A+ certification.
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Seventh-220-701-220-702/dp/0071701338
That one.
My suggestion would be to go pick up a used copy of the A+ Certification books from someplace like Amazon or Half Priced Books. You can find them for like $20-30. Find one made in the last 2-3 years and give it a read.
Something like this
>took an intro class in college which was not very good (blaming the teacher more than anything)
you too? lol
As far as books go, I've always gone with the official CompTIA books
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Seventh-220-701-220-702/dp/0071701338/
This one focuses on both hardware and Windows. I think it's necessary to have both. The books come with study guides as well with software to test you with actual A+ test questions.
I'd like to hear what other books people have had success with.
Sorry for the delay, I used http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Edition-N10-005/dp/0071789227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396240683&sr=8-1&keywords=comptia+network%2B
Yeah man, no problem.
Before I find some specific books, I wanna mention one series that you've definitely heard of: Blank for Dummies. From my experience, if you want to start from no knowledge and work up to an intermediate level of understanding, For Dummies books are great. A lot of experts beg to differ.
But, to be frank, people who are experts in their field are just that: experts in their field. I have friends who are excellent in their fields, but they are terrible teachers. They expect people to pick things up as quicky as they did. We're not all wired that way, and For Dummies books get that.
So, for my first two recommendations, here ya go:
Networking for Dummies
Building Your Own PC for Dummies
Both of those are less than 20 bucks on Amazon, and I'm sure you can find them at a library.
Now, if you really want to get into networking, and you want to get in to the IT field, you should read the A+ and Network+ certification books from Comptia. These will be harder to find in a library, but there will probably be some older editions lying around somewhere. If you know someone who works in the field, they probably have a copy, or can get you a copy, for free or cheap.
These books are more expensive, and more difficult, but they are peerless if you want to jumpstart a career in IT. I'm not going to claim that getting an A+ and/or a Network+ (or a Security+) certification is going to guarantee you a job. However it will definitely help you get your foot in the door.
Other books that you'll want to eventually check out if you want to check out things from O'Reilly. Most of their books are not meant for beginners, but they are the quintessential reference books in the IT field, including computer science, networking, and security. To give you an idea of just how many books they have, check out this picture of the programming section at the Noisebridge Hackerspace in San Francisco.
That band of colorful books in the middle? Those are (some of) the programming books they have available. They have just as many on every topic of IT. Here's their networking section. 19 pages. Of just networking books.
I hope that gives you a good idea of where to start.
I was in the same boat as you are. I am currently 29 and have been in an IT job now (that I love) for just over a year. I have 0 college classes in technology and a masters in counseling which I plan on never using professionally again.
I was very lucky and was able to acquire a technology position based on my network of friends and people. As I don't have the exact answer for what you are looking for I can tell you that I don't plan on getting a degree in computers but want to acquire my Network+ and Security+ certs as well as VMware eventually. This is my current plan to further my career.
I devoured this guys videos on basics that I needed to catch up on and like him for the most part. He gets on his sandbox alot lately but the original videos are full of great info.
http://www.youtube.com/user/elithecomputerguy
I use the free professor messer videos here...
http://www.professormesser.com/n10-005/free-network-plus/
and I have bought this book!
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-All-In-One-Exam-Guide/dp/0071789227
All of which are great additions to my current job.
I hope you do well in your endeavor....also...
http://recoveringfromreligion.org/
I will certainly look into these books, but I doubt my Computer Science teacher could help much. Thanks for the help though.
Edit: I assume this is the book you guys are talking about: http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-All---One-Guide/dp/0071789227/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414346192&sr=1-1&keywords=comptia+network%2B
Tanenbaum's Computer Networks. I purchased it as a textbook for a class, but I've held on to it because it's a great reference for packet headers and low-level stuff.
nvm, I found it
http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networks-4th-Andrew-Tanenbaum/dp/0130661023
I would dive into critical thinking. This will give your brain a workout:
http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Networks-4th-Andrew-Tanenbaum/dp/0130661023
I wonder what do people like yourself think of Computer Networks?
While being a self taught sys admin is great, learning the internals of how things work can really extend your knowledge beyond what you may have considered possible. This starts to get more into the CS portion of things, but who cares. It's still great stuff to know, and if you know this you will really be set apart. Im not sure if it will help you directly as a sys admin, but may quench your thirst. Im both a programmer and unix admin, so I tend to like both. I own or have owned most of these and enjoy them greatly. You may also consider renting them or just downloading them. I can say that knowing how thing operate internally is great, it fills in a lot of holes.
OS Internals
While you obviously are successful at the running and maintaining of unix like systems. How much do you know about their internal functions? While reading source code is the best method, some great books will save you many hours of time and will be a bit more enjoyable. These books are Amazing
The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD Operating System
Linux Kernel Development
Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment
Networking
Learning the actual function of networking at the code level is really interesting. Theres a whole other world below implementation. You likely know a lot of this.
Computer Networks
TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1: The Protocols
Unix Network Programming, Volume 1: The Sockets Networking API
Compilers/Low Level computer Function
Knowing how a computer actually works, from electricity, to EE principles , through assembly to compilers may also interest you.
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective
Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools
Great, thanks! I've seen that and this suggested evenly. Anyone have any experience with both?
Abstract, in terms of "weird physical threats":
Resilience engineering:
IR/DR:
The tangled web is great. I haven't finished it yet but what I've read so far is pretty insightful stuff. Security Engineering: http://www.amazon.com/Security-Engineering-Building-Dependable-Distributed/dp/0470068523/ref=dp_ob_title_bk : probably one of the better titles for security as a whole. I like to think phrack might also be a great resource but it's pretty dated material. Really you'll be learning so much just picking apart existing shit, crashing stuff, making love to your debugger, and just enjoying the shit out of yourself.. books will come secondary but they're still important. :-) Goodluck have fun!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470068523
Awesome Book.
I used these two books and they helped greatly. They even have flights that you can download and use as part of the cirriculum.
If I may I have a non-traditional answer.
This book:
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222
I would advise that you pick up any version of FSX you can and I recommend this book
It's reasonably realistic. When starting to fly, I was amazed at how easy it was. Of course, they are very different things, but a sim is very useful for learning equipment layout and instruments, as well as helping to understand navigation methods.
It's a great supplement to training, but you can't really learn to fly from a simulator. Spend 300 hours in a simulator though, and the first time you climb into a real plane, you'll be way ahead of the game.
The simple reason is last time I was simming, I was using a book to learn how to use MSFSX for RL flight training and I was still using the cub in those lessons. https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1495262040&sr=8-12&keywords=ms+fsx+book
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training/dp/0764588222
If you finish that book, and it's lessons you will be super knowledgable.
Also if you are able, take a discovery flight at your local airport, and see how things translate to the real world.
Good Luck.
Not a problem. If you are going with Cram Exam then you can find it for cheap on Amazon brand new.
I would recommend either Exam Cram 6th ed. by David L. Prowse or Mike Meyer's A+ passport. There are bigger books (1200+ pages), but I don't think they're necessary if you've already assembled machines and installed various operating systems. You can probably do fine with one of these concise guides. If you really want to browse the various books and determine which you like the best, then you can do that by signing up for a 10-day free trial with SafariBooks. This will give you full access to 10 different books for 10 days...enough time to determine your favorite. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends or they might bill you.
Professor Messer is a good source of videos. CBT Nuggets is also good, but kind of pricey. You might try their 7-day trial and see if you like it. CBT Nuggets is about 35hours of video and Prof. Messer is 20.
I started with a pretty extensive background in hardware/software troubleshooting but studying really helped everything come together. I learned the most from the Printers chapter/videos. I had never taken a Comptia exam before and was a little unsure of how detailed the questions would be, so this made me study a little harder. I studied for each exam separately. About 2 weeks preparing for the 801 and 10 days or so for the 802. The 802 was a little more challenging.
Good luck!
This is what I used. Meyers and this one are also very popular.
Since you already have that school one, I'd wouldn't worry too much about it though. Though I do recomend a practice book, like this one. And remember that aside from multiple answer questions, there are also a few "labs."
A lot of people recommend Professor Messer's Youtube Videos. They're free to use and I believe are current. This is great since it'll show you what you'll be learning about as you're given information on it. Many people recommend that you pause the video and take notes throughout the video. Do this for each one, memorize the information and you should be good for the test.
If you like using a text, then I can personally recommend Exam Cram. The included practice questions and tests are gold (some people buy the book just for them). The information is distilled down to what you need to know without any fluff or unneeded information. I made around 300-ish note cards out of the information given and passed both 801 and 802 on my first try. I have no issue with drilling info and memorization, but you will have to do this no matter which option you choose.
Hope this helps OP!
It was the Exam Cram by David Prowse. http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Exam-Edition/dp/0789749718 It has included software that you can do practice exams with. A few of the questions were almost word-for-word exactly on the exam. No simulations though, I have yet to find anything that includes sims.
Haven't checked Meyers study material so not informed enough to give an opinion.
You are on the right track. Get your A+ cert, prof. messer has great videos that helped me:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG49S3nxzAnnmMVTdd4v4ryJ7_qoQCrF4
and this book:
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Exam-Edition/dp/0789749718
With your A+ cert you can go to sites like justanswers.com and register as a professional to help people on there for experience. Also guru.com and other freelance work will help when it comes to the next part.
Work on your resume, taking your work experience and molding it to show off your IT experience. For example: you said you worked retail, so take your customer support and your interaction with the POS (assuming it was computer based) and put something like: maintained point of sale computer, various printers, payment processing terminals, and peripheral devices. Basically anything even remotely IT related, make it relevant, and apparent that you have extensive knowledge with it.
I personally would NOT go for a "school" like centriq or ITT or any of that crap. You can get into entry level positions with certs and work your way up far faster and cheaper. Get on linkedIn and create a profile if you don't already have one. This will help you network, and search for jobs. Depending on what you can get, you might have to start with a help desk type position to get more experience. The idea entry level IT job for you to aim for (that you can work your way up with) would be a technical support analyst doing tier 1 work.
You can do this, and if you have any questions or anything feel free to hit me up.
I used this book and this book of practice tests. A very easy read it comes with a cheat sheet.
I have this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789749718
Definitely! I've been studying from Mike Meyers All in One Exam Guide, Professor Messer, Carey Holzman from Tech-Vets, and the Exam Cram Practice Question Book. They are all great resources, especially Carey's hands-on build videos. Which will help if your never built a PC yourself. I will update you tomorrow on my opinion of the test and things I came across.
Red Hat RHCSA/RHCE 7 Cert Guide: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (EX200 and EX300) (Certification Guide) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0789754053/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_iKXFAbWY8CJKH
Sander Van Vugt has a great book that covers rhcsa and RHCE. I used them both to get my RHCE. Not really for beginners. You'll have to do a lot of researching to figure things out not covered in the book. Also plural sight is great video site with some Linux trainings. Linux academy is a great resource too but I think it's a bit pricey after the trial ends.
Corrrect. It is December.
I am waiting for this book to be released, personally.
The more popular book around for learning Linux is going to be the UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook found here: https://www.amazon.com/UNIX-Linux-System-Administration-Handbook/dp/0134277554/ref=dp_ob_title_bk. If you are specifically looking to learn about everything CentOS or RHEL, my personal preference is to get this book here: https://www.amazon.com/RHCSA-RHCE-Cert-Guide-Certification/dp/0789754053 which includes modules that you can complete as you read the guide (and it prepares you for the certification if you want to get it). The author of the book uses CentOS since they are basically the same OS (and it's free). My $0.02 on the matter.
Okay then. I'm glad that you have a can-do attitude and sound hungry. First let's get something settled. You're nearly as high up in the certifications chain as you can be with Microsoft and you're noticing it's not getting you the places you need to go. This is a supply and demand problem. Employers can get people like you on the cheap from contracting agencies, and often they needn't even be in the united states. You need to increase your value. Here's what you do, you're going to dive in head first. There are two distributions of Linux that are widely known to have some level of enterprise support, which means enterprises (the companies that will pay you lots of money) will be attracted to them. These distrubutions are Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Ubuntu Server Edition. I recommend that you start with Red Hat, but not necessarily because it's a better distro but because they have a well-designed certification program.
Books
Start drilling yourself. There's another less impressive certification called the LPIC which has three tests, there's sample tests all over the web for free, i recommend taking them often and when you don't get a question correct go into your VM and use what you were asked
Pick a language, I recommend first getting really good at BASH then Python.
Don't stay at jobs. We get raises by moving to new companies. Your median stay should be about 18 months if it seems like you've topped out. Don't be afraid to GTFO of Florida. I stayed close to home for too long and wasted a lot of time limiting myself in the Midwest. If you are able to relocate and have an RHCE i guarantee your salary will double in 3 years. DOUBLE. And it will keep increasing. And you'll be working on way more interesting stuff.
Please take a look at these resources. They have been outstanding so far!
http://www.rhatcertification.com/
He has a complete video course (~$150 with discount)
Sander also has a partially completed book (pdf) for RHCSA/RHCE costing only $16 and will provide updates.
His book IS going to be published and can be pre-ordered (~$40) on amazon.com =
http://www.amazon.com/RHCE-RHCSA-Cert-Guide-Certification/dp/0789754053/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420367281&sr=1-1
The video tutorial is great! I signed up for the lab environment and contact hours. I'll be starting that in a day or two after registration is completed.
Trying again without links:
So, I decided that I don't feel like spending more time on this, and I got most of them, so let's roll with it.
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Riddle 1
Wine
[Item - Spaetzle Maker] amazon.com/dp/B00004UE89/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2RQMTOPDX95LA&coliid=I3T5XA41NPA20B
So this is kind of a stretch, but hear me out. Over the weekend, I let the "German" in me out, and I cooked a wonderful meal consisting of schnitzel (pork shoulder blade, fried to perfection) and a side of spaetzle (German dumplings). That evening, I also bought a bottle of Roscato (a sweet red wine from Italy) to have with dinner, and it was DELICIOUS. While making the meal and drinking the wine, I mentioned to my wife how great it would be to have a spaetzle maker. She agreed, so it's on the WL.
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Riddle 2
A doormat (though based on theme it should really be a broom, but that doesn't make sense in your riddle)
[Item - Subaru Floor Mats] amazon.com/dp/B004HGXWXU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1462GJGC40KP1&coliid=IAIIHKXJYAGUI
So on Thursday I bought myself a new-to-me 2011 Subaru Legacy. It's pretty cool minus the issues with the key, but besides the $100 I had to spend to "fix" it, it's grand. I noticed when checking out the car that it had gray Jetta floor mats. Note that my car has black leather interior, and is a Subaru, not a VW Jetta. I found these, they have good reviews, so I put them on my WL as something to get for my new car so I can get rid of those awful floor mats.
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Riddle 3
A hat
[Item - Sunglasses] amazon.com/dp/B005P195KU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=P31L4QN6S6PK&coliid=I2DOHRI12MKZ6T&psc=1
There are two things every good baseball/softball/wiffleball player needs. A good hat, and a good pair of sunglasses. I always wear a hat (thanks a lot, male pattern baldness), so I've got plenty of those (need to get a new one, but Amazon doesn't have the one I want). What I don't have is a good pair of sunglasses for playing ball outside. My aviators are scratched, and, well, wearing aviators to play sports doesn't exactly work well. These are sitting on my WL for that day where I finally go "DAMMIT I NEED SUNGLASSES TO GO WITH MY HAT."
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Riddle 4
A book
[Item - A+ Cert Study Book] amazon.com/dp/1118324056/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=E9RD1GO4V1KF&coliid=I3I1EOQ0P5X4TS
So this one is REALLY lame compared to my other stories. For this, it's an ACTUAL BOOK (how lame). I work in IT, and one of the most BASIC qualifications for most jobs is CompTIA A+ certification. I know that with a brief refresher I could pass the test pretty easily, but I don't want to take any risks, and would rather study up and blow it out of the water. I need this book in order to help me do that.
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Riddle 5
This one I'm not sure about, but I can't take any more time to figure it out (thanks a lot, work). A trunk? that seems to make the most sense based on the theme here....
[Item - LEGO VW Camper Van] amazon.com/dp/B0050R0XEG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2KY51TV5KVQCC&coliid=I1FBGVJXQ9BEYK)
This one is a real stretch. When I went through this the first time, I thought that you were looking for "A car" (boot//trunk//place to store stuff or even hide in), but then when I looked at the theme of everything, I decided that was wrong. I changed my mind and went with a trunk. To combine those two things, here's the LEGO version of a car, which has a trunk, and also has a little suitcase on the top of it, as it is meant for camping and camping activities - a great place to hide away from everything!
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Bonus
A cape!
[Item - LEGO Movie Batman figure] amazon.com/dp/B002U2UFB0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2KY51TV5KVQCC&coliid=I2J6HQ9IEA6T9E)
What better way to exemplify the answer of "A cape" to a riddle than with a legit superhero. I actually bought this little batman for a friend of mine, and after putting it together, thought I should have one myself. He has two faces, a cape, the bat helmet, and a batarang. This character is simply awesome in the movie, and looks pretty damn awesome to boot! (Get it? Boot? From the last riddle? ^(I get it ... it's not funny...))
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No WL Additions were made for this, I improvised and managed to connect everything to something already on my WL. Thanks for the contest!!!
Any idea how long you had studied before the 801?
Also, was this the study guide you mentioned? http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-220-801/dp/1118324056
Probably something like this? http://www.amazon.ca/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-220-801/dp/1118324056
Sure thing, the Comptia certs do cost some money, I know some high schools/community colleges have reimbursement programs for them so that may be looking into in your local area. As far as study material I used these: A+, Security+, Linux+. PDF's of these books can be found online from various sources as well.
For exam practice I used a VCE exam player application and whichever vce file had the best rating per exam from examcollection. Hope that helps!
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Study-Guide-SY0-401/dp/1118875079
Before the test I'd suggest picking up a copy of CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: SY0-401, to see what you aren't familiar with. To pass the 401, I read the book in it's entirety once, then went over every test question in this book, CompTIA Security+ Certification Practice Exams, Second Edition (Exam SY0-401) (Certification Press) Kindle Edition.
I flew through the multiple choice section of the 401 with no problems. The labs were a pain, but that's due to how they were designed, not due to lack of knowledge or studying. In my opinion, they were presented poorly, the instructions were hard to follow and never followed the same structure from one to the next. However, since the practice exam book prepped me for the multiple choice, I had plenty of time to go back and decipher the labs (my lab questions were in the beginning, I think I had 5 or 6 of them).
Links to the books from above:
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Study-Guide-SY0-401/dp/1118875079/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Certification-Practice-Edition-ebook/dp/B00IZX3XYY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
How long did it take you to study? and what materials did you use?
I currently have the exam cram security+ book, and just recently ordered the symbex book alongside it. I learned from people that took the CCNA that multiple sources are a good thing but don't go overboard, a cert only lasts for a few years and you'll need to take it again with more up to date literature. Congratulations.
A study guide should be more than enough.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1118875079/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FJ778RBW4HCTJN0TG0Y8
Kind of depends on your background with Linux! I have around 7 years Linux experience so I was already ahead when I went into the course. uCertify didnt really help me much (It was based off of LPIC-1 course, not LX0 series, but the material is fairly similar). I used this book to study mostly, and Labsim was very helpful as well. Good luck!
The thing that helped me the most was this book:
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Linux-Powered-Professional-Institute/dp/1119021219
I read it several times. It has excellent practice questions that come with it. A great deal for $39.00
I also used Linux Academy. They have tons of videos you can watch and explain everything in great detail. They give you six real servers to use and play around with. It only costs $20 a month.
www.linuxacademy.com
I used the Sybex study guide, and just got an 800 on my 103 retake. The online flashcards helped me out a bit, as well as reviewing man pages.
That's odd because it would appear the same book in the US is highly rated and is sold by Amazon at a reasonable price. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119021219/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_a5YIwb8AZR6WN
I'm currently about 30% of the way thru it and let me tell you it is very tightly packed with information and doesn't explain concepts in a way that's appropriate for a noob but that's fine because if did it would be 5x longer. Over all, more than half of the book talks about commands and their switches and is therefore a very dry read and involves a lot of rote memorization. I recommend making yourself a lot of flashcards. I've already made myself 380 or so, and at the current rate I'll easily have over 1,000 by the time I am done.
At my current rate of progress I expect to spend about 4-6 weeks working my way thru the book and studying my flash cards before I take the exams.
I actually knew the 800 exams were retired. I was planning on getting either this or this, which are both study guides for the 901 and 902 exams. Which one do you recommend on getting?
You might be able to find free study material online, it may be out of date though. But no, not free for good guides that will help:
A+ Guide
Check out CompTIA's website. In college, I only took a prep class for the A+ and then taking the test itself was a independent affair (although the college was also an official testing facility, but it just required scheduling of your own, not facilitated by the college). The class was fine but I also spent a good few weeks on my own with this book, which was just as good as taking the prep class. I'd probably just spend $30 on the book and study on your own.
I can at least vouch for two books I used to help pass mine.
This one I found to be very thorough, but also can be a bit of a slog to read if you're starting from scratch. While not as in depth this one helped me with some parts I was fuzzy on, as it put it into much simpler terms. Also for practice tests I can definitely recommend total seminars.
This is something you should be getting. You can buy a used copy for $22. It's much better than all of these free sources that leave information out or give no explanation as to why things are they way they are.
This course looks like its an edition behind- which isn't a bit deal I think. Latest edition for A+ is 220-901 and 220-902 and course is 220-801 and 220-802.
You can probably buy a study guide instead of looking into a course. Here is the one I am reading (I can't comment on if this is the best, as its the only one I am using so far): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119137853/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Generally though if you just need knowledge just reading the study guide without taking the test seems good. Certs aren't highly valued. Up to you and what you want of course.
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Solutions-Architect-Official-Study/dp/1119138558
I was wondering about the same thing. There is a study guide for the Solutions Architect exam, but I'm interested in the Developer certification. If there is a fair bit of overlap, then that guide would probably be useful even if it's for a different exam.
I assume this is for the Associate exam?
I actually found the study guide book incredibly helpful. It is not a deep dive into all of the services but it is a great overview for each service. I also found reviewing documentation on various services to be helpful.
I took two practice exams that came with the book. They weren't 100% accurate to the test but they do give you a very good idea of what the exam flow is. You won't find anything with 100% accurate exam questions. Therefore, study the domains, and get comfortable with the way the test flow goes.
I would get these two books to start.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119288789/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item_image
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119290988/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item_image
These are Lammle's books and are good for the new V3 of the exams and are highly recommended by all that have passed their CCNA exams.
Make sure you also focus on subnetting and VLANs.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CCNA-ICND2-Study-Guide-200-105/dp/1119290988/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1484075144&sr=8-5&keywords=lammle
$38.52 USD NEW on Amazon for the OCG. $30.30 USD NEW for Lammle's book on Amazon. Buying the Lammle books seperately will cost $22.59 USD and $25.52 USD respectively. Can you really save that much buying them used instead?
But as others have said unless the previous owner didn't activate the test software (which is highly unlikely), you will not have access to that. You also run the risk of there being marks on pages obscuring topics, or missing pages all together.
Personally, I'd just buy them new.
EDIT: Looks like the 7th edition book refers to the 640-802 exam. That is 3 exam versions ago. You will need a current book if you wish to pass the current exam.
I've been wondering about a similar thing. Don't know which Lammle book to buy.
Is CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: Exam 100-105, Exam 200-105, Exam 200-125 the bundled version of
CCENT ICND1 Study Guide: Exam 100-105
and
CCNA ICND2 Study Guide: Exam 200-105 = CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: Exam 100-105, Exam 200-105, Exam 200-125 ?
I put the one I think is a bundle for pre-order just now. Hopefully it's the correct one.
There's a newer edition, but Cisco has revised the exams yet again, and v3 study material should be out soon (the new Lammle book here says September.
Sept 26, 2016
https://www.amazon.com/CCNA-ICND2-Study-Guide-200-105/dp/1119290988/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1468622666&sr=8-14&keywords=ICND2
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119290988/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Yup, this is an important one to understand.
Usually I suggest preparing for the SCJP test (doesn't matter if you get the cert or not if you know enough to pass the test). The study guides are great resources for all of the little details.
http://www.amazon.com/SCJP-Certified-Programmer-Java-310-065/dp/0071591060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377447672&sr=8-1&keywords=scjp+guide
or I guess now that these losers run it:
http://www.amazon.com/Certified-Professional-Programmer-1Z0-804-1Z0-805/dp/1430247649/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377447699&sr=8-1&keywords=oracle+certified+java
Well, I said it before, I will say it again, this book is amazing
Then, I highly recommend, you learn JPA/Hibernate and DDD. The value in that alone is what many companies are after.
Then you have to choose what is that specifically you want to master:
If you want to go with EE, then read this
If you want to go mobile, read this
Obviously, if you still have time, Martin Fowler and Uncle Bob are your guides.
i recommend Mike Myers' CompTIA A+ book it comes with a CD that you can take practice test through.
Edit: The new test does not cover Windows 7, while the book mentions this, it still does go over some of the basics of 7.
Just picked up Mike Meyers Network+ book for the new exams and he doesn't disappoint.
Tanenbaum does a good write up
There are a lot of great resources out there and it may be a bit overwhelming.
I would not rely solely on Professor Messer's videos. His videos are great, but lack some of the detail that a large certification book offers.
It also depends on yourself. Are you new to the IT field? Have you ever built a computer before, setup a wireless network, or done some troubleshooting?
Mike Meyer's Book
This book gets a lot of attention and is a good resource.
Exam Cram Series
This book is a great "cram" of all the information. It's shorter than Meyer's book but has a lot of great test preparation questions and strategies.
Those 2 books with supplements from Professor Messer's videos should give you more than enough help. Also don't be afraid to just reserach something that you are unsure of. I use other sources such as Reddit and YouTube just to further dive into things I am unsure of.
I am taking both exams on the 15th of this month and my study habits have been read the books. Then test yourself with exams. Find where your weak points are, and study them. Rinse and repeat. Everyone is different and it all depends on how quickly you want it. A lot of these questions are up to yourself and how you learn/retain knowledge.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322
Basically I got a call from a recruiter on Wednesday night saying that if I passed the test by the end of Friday I would have a guaranteed job. Thursday morning I popped an addy, read messers study guide, did the chapter quizzes in the book, and the rest of the day I worked on the chapters I was deficient in. Friday morning I took the exam and passed.
Take ocjp certifications and go through kathy sierra and bert bates book.
https://www.amazon.com/SCJP-Certified-Programmer-Java-310-065/dp/0071591060