The CompTIA Network+ syllabus for exam code N10-009 covers five domains: Network troubleshooting, Networking concepts, Network implementation, Network operations, and Network security. Each domain carries an official weight toward your score, and CompTIA groups a set of objective statements under every domain describing exactly what you need to know for that area.
CompTIA publishes the Network+ syllabus as five weighted domains rather than a single reading list. Knowing the weight of each domain, and the objective statements inside it, tells you where to spend your study time before you open a single chapter.
This page lists all five domains for exam code N10-009 (version V9) with their official weights and the objective statements CompTIA groups under each one. Use it alongside the study plan, which allocates time by these same weights.
How the domains are weighted
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Network troubleshooting | 24% |
| Networking concepts | 23% |
| Network implementation | 20% |
| Network operations | 19% |
| Network security | 14% |
Troubleshooting and concepts together make up close to half of the exam, so a candidate who is strong on switching and routing theory but weak on structured troubleshooting method is under-prepared for a large share of the questions.
Network troubleshooting (24%)
This is the largest domain, and it is built around a repeatable method, not a topic list.
- Troubleshooting methodology: identifying the problem, establishing a theory, testing, planning and implementing a solution, verifying functionality, and documenting findings
- Cabling and physical interface issues: cable issues (incorrect type, signal degradation, improper termination, TX/RX transposed), interface issues (increasing counters, port status), and hardware issues (PoE, transceiver mismatch, signal strength)
- Network services issues: switching issues (STP, VLAN assignment, ACLs), routing issues (routing table and default routes), address pool exhaustion, and incorrect gateway/IP/subnet mask
- Performance issues: congestion, latency, packet loss, and wireless interference
- Tools and protocols: protocol analyzers, command line tools, cable testers, and Wi-Fi analyzers
Networking concepts (23%)
This is the theory domain: models, appliances, addressing, and media.
- OSI model layers: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, application
- Networking appliances: routers, switches, firewalls, IDS/IPS, load balancers, proxies, NAS, SAN, and wireless devices
- Cloud concepts: NFV, VPC, network security groups, cloud gateways, deployment models (public, private, hybrid), service models (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS)
- Ports and protocols: FTP, SFTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP, RDP, SIP
- Traffic types: unicast, multicast, anycast, broadcast
- Transmission media: wireless (Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite), wired (fiber, coaxial, DAC)
- Transceivers and connectors: SC, LC, ST, MPO, RJ11, RJ45, F-type, BNC
- Network topologies: mesh, hybrid, star/hub and spoke, spine and leaf, point-to-point, three-tier, and collapsed core
- IPv4 addressing: public vs. private, APIPA, RFC1918, loopback, subnetting (VLSM, CIDR), and address classes (A, B, C, D, E)
Network implementation (20%)
This domain is about configuring the devices, not just naming them.
- Routing technologies: static and dynamic routing (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF), route selection, NAT, PAT, FHRP, VIP, and subinterfaces
- Switching technologies: VLANs, interface configuration, spanning tree, MTU, and jumbo frames
- Wireless devices: channels, frequency options, SSID, network types, encryption, guest networks, authentication, antennas, and access points
- Physical installations: installation implications, power considerations, and environmental factors
Network operations (19%)
This domain covers running a network day to day, not building it.
- Documentation: physical vs. logical diagrams, rack diagrams, cable maps, network diagrams, asset inventory, IPAM, SLA, and wireless surveys
- Life-cycle management: EOL, EOS, software management, and decommissioning
- Change management: request process tracking
- Configuration management: production, backup, baseline configurations
- Network monitoring: SNMP, flow data, packet capture, baseline metrics, log aggregation, API integration, and port mirroring
- Disaster recovery: RPO, RTO, MTTR, MTBF, cold/warm/hot sites, active-active/passive, and testing
- Network services: DHCP, SLAAC, DNS, NTP, PTP, and NTS
- Access and management: VPNs, SSH, GUI, API, and console
Network security (14%)
The smallest domain by weight, but it spans authentication, physical security, attacks, and compliance.
- Logical security: encryption (data in transit/rest), PKI, IAM, MFA, SSO, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML, TACACS+, time-based authentication, authorization, least privilege, role-based access control, and geofencing
- Physical security: cameras and locks
- Deception technologies: honeypot and honeynet
- Security terminology: risk, vulnerability, exploit, threat, and CIA triad
- Audits and compliance: data locality, PCI DSS, and GDPR
- Network segmentation: IoT, IIoT, SCADA, ICS, OT, guest, and BYOD
- Types of attacks: DoS/DDoS, VLAN hopping, MAC flooding, ARP poisoning/spoofing, DNS poisoning/spoofing, rogue devices/services, evil twin, on-path attack, and social engineering (phishing, dumpster diving, shoulder surfing, tailgating)
- Security features and defense: device hardening, NAC, key management, ACL, URL/content filtering, trusted vs. untrusted zones, and screened subnet
Where to go from here
Once you have read through the objective statements, the practical next steps are to check the exam format page for question count and timing, confirm you meet the prerequisites, and try a set of sample questions written against these same domains.
CompTIA does not publish a direct exam guide PDF; the domain list and weights above are drawn from the official exam page, which summarizes them inline.
Exam facts on this page come from CompTIA’s own pages (official exam page). Prices, versions and policies change — confirm there before you book.