Subject: network essentials exam.

I passed with a score in high 800's. The exam is 75 minutes in length and I finsihed with 30 minutes to spare. I took twenty minutes of this remaining half hour reviewing many marked question. I studied over a period of about six weeks and only wrote the exam when I felt I was comfortable with the theory and language. I am glad I did not rush and have to say, in spite of all my study and slow measured pace, I most likely would have failed were it not for this site. This exam is not a breeze. Heartfelt thanks to all contributors.

Another word of advice: The Trascender exams and the practise exams and test questions in the Exam Cram book are TOO easy. They are a good place to start but don't rely on them as a benchmark. My suggestion: if either of them have a couple of questions on fault tolerance or bandwidth, as examples, go back to the Microsoft textbook and re-read the entire section on bandwidth, fault tolerance etc.

Do not underestimate this exam. It is wordy and deceptive. I had all the scenario questions described by others. Probably 6 or 7 questions, each repeated with a different set of soloutions for a total of about 12 or 14 scenarios. The only additional comment I would make about the scenarious concerns the one about fault tolerance using disk mirroring, UPS, tape back up, file and object access/auditing and NTFS. It has the answer: It meets the required but only meets two of the optional because there is no mention of Auditing. One other point one this question: someone mentioned earlier about this scenario describing the server set up. There is a server and a back up domain controller which is in itself a form of fault tolerance so, don't let this fool you.

There are questions that give unneccessary information so don't let all the extra descriptors throw you. ie. If a question reads: you have a complex Ethernet network. So what! Ethernet is ethernet. Complex has nothing to do with it so, I think they try to trick you into making errors by thinking you may have overlooked something.

I had no questions on WINS, DNS, DHCP, subnet masks or default gateways.

No questions on the OSI model except, what works above the Transport layer: A gateway. No questions on application or network protocols and other a passing reference to transport layer protocols and NDIS compatibility with NICs.

Know the routable and non rotable protocols. Bandwidth re: WAN links. I had the diagram of the Mesh topology. Know 802.3. I had no token ring questions. Several etherenet as well as why won't one computer access a particular resource when all others can. I answered incorrect protocol mismatch as the protocols used in a network are set up from the client when the NOS software is installed

Questions:

Access IBM 3090 via Terminal Emulation, what should you use? Gateway.

What is designed to replace analog phones? ISDN

What WAN link would you use for a 100 Mbps network? ATM

Scenarios:

NetBIOS Naming Scenario in a netwok that will soon be internetworked. ie. will soon have a WAN link.

Main point is NetBIOS names must be 15 characters or less. The also say: Make sure the naming scheme will work once a network is in place.

Primary result: Needed to link 30,000 devices with NetBIOS naming scheme

Optional result: Meaningful naming scheme that is, each netbios name must describe the department, location, computer function etc.. Must work once the LAN is in place.

Solution 1: Use unique 15 char hex number

Will work, but not meaningful

Solution 2: Use 1st 8 chars for location, 4 for function and 2 for something else. Users use their e-mail address for NetBIOS name (Email address defined elsewhere in the question as <=12 chars). Point here being it's meaningful and is not greater than 15 chars, therefore fulfills all requirements.

Network Utilisation:

120 users evenly spread across 3 servers, TCP/IP.

Primary objective: Want to decrease network utilisation

Optional objective: Minimise Cost, expandibility maintain the future projected network utilization

Solution 1: Replace Hubs, NICs and wiring with 100Mbs kit.

Answer: Works, but does not minimise cost (segmentation would have been cheaper)

Solution 2: Change packet size from 1514 to 768, change TCP/IP window from 4k to 16k ,increase acknowledgements...

Answer: does not meet the primary objective

Mixed network of Win 95/NT and Apple Mac. Brouters between LANs. Mixed protocols. tcp/ip, nwline ipx/spx, appletalk, netbuei protocols

Primary objective: reduce Network Traffic without altering functionality.

Solution involved removing all protocols leaving just IPX. Turn off Bridging part of Brouters.

Answer: Doesn't fulfill the objective as the Macsaren't compatible with ipx/spx

3 sites in 3 cities.

Main: Want to ensure any PC can access any other PC or Server across 3 sites.

Desire: Continue working if single link fails and Continue working with 1Mbs link speed if single line fails.

Solution 1: 2 x T1 lines (T1 = 1.5 Mbs)

Answer: Main OK, no good if single link fails

Solution 2: 3 x T1 lines in triangle

Answer: Fulfils everything

What Topology is this: (Exhibit) 5 PCs each linked to each other (looks like Star of David)

Answer: Mesh

Mixed DOS, UNIX, NT network. New NT server, UNIX boxes only can't see it.

Answer: Protocol mismatch between UNIX and new server. (All other options would have caused additional symptoms – for instance the option "Faulty Cable to new server" is wrong because the DOS based PCs could see the new server.)

Intermittent network problems on Thinnet. Mix of RG58 /U

Solid Core and RG58 A/U Stranded cable.

Answer: Replace RG58 /U with A/U. (The two are not compatible).

Install NIC on Interrupt 3, what could it conflict with?

Answer: Com 2

-If in doubt on a multiple choice, the answers seem to be Protocol Analyser or ATM!! (3 Protocol analyser questions and 2 ATM questions).
For instance, What would you use to log network activity at the packet level? Meter, TDR, PA or Oscilloscope?.
Answer: PA. PA includes software so is the only device of those offered which can create logs or monitor anything over time or look at packets.

- Know your Resistance on Thinnet! Network fault – get 0 on coax cable centre to edge, 50 Ohm on T piece and 50 Ohm on terminator. What do you do? Answer: Replace coax cable.

-Know characteristics of Thinnet and UTP. Q on Thinnet specification, answer was it uses BNC T connectors and on UTP where the answer was it requires Cat 3, 4 or 5 cable.

Also they ask if 10baseT uses RJ-11 connectors at either end of the cable. NO, it uses RJ-45.

- Several Questions on new computers not working but the network software seems to have initialised (which rules out interrupt and base-address conflicts). Answers were wrong transceiver type set on NIC and (for NWLink which is IPX) wrong frame type.

-5 Users WfW network, which protocol.

Answer: IPX (NetBIOS wasn't offered as an option).

-Which protocols are routable?

Answer: Everything apart from NetBEUI, LAT and DLC

Some SLIP and PPP. SLIP does not support dynamic IP addressing, nor compression Nothing on CSLIP

Mixxed DOS, UNIX, NT network. New NT server, UNIX boxes only can't see it.

A: Protocol mismatch between UNIX and new server. (All other options would have caused additional symptoms – for instance the option "Faulty Cable to new server" is wrong because the DOS based PCs could see the new server.)

Intermittent network problems on Thinnet. Mix of RG58 /U

Solid Core and RG58 A/U Stranded cable. A: Replace RG58 /U with A/U. (The two are not compatible).

Had two questions about IRQ conflicts. Study these because in the exam, if you know this type of stuff, they're gimme.

-If in doubt on a multiple choice, the answers seem to be Protocol Analyser or ATM!! (3 Protocol analyser questions and 2 ATM questions).
For instance, What would you use to log network activity at the packet level? Meter, TDR, PA or Oscilloscope?
Answer: PA. PA includes software so is the only device of those offered which can create logs or monitor anything over time or look at packets.

- Know your Resistance on Thinnet! Network fault – get 0 on coax cable centre to edge, 50 Ohm on T piece and 50 Ohm on terminator. What do you do? A: Replace coax cable.

-Know characteristics of Thinnet and UTP. Q on Thinnet specification, A was it uses BNC T connectors and on UTP where the answer was it requires Cat 3, 4 or 5 cable.

- Several Questions on new computers not working but the network software seems to have initialised (which rules out interrupt and base-address conflicts). Answers were wrong transceiver type set on NIC and (for NWLink which is IPX) wrong frame type.

-5 Users WfW network, which protocol. A: IPX (NetBIOS wasn't offered as an option).

-Which protocols are routable? (Everything apart from NetBEUI, LAT and DLC)

SLIP does not support dynamic IP addressing, nor compression

Some Security – W95 = share level, WNT = User Level (but needs a server for user list).

One question about win95 client on a NT server. What security would you use with MINIMAL administration?

-Network performance accessing server decreasing. NT Server Utilisation stats are CPU 8%, Page Faults 2 per second and Disk Utilisation 25%.

A: Install RAID Disk Striping of some sort (to speed up disk access).

Two questions about NDIS/ODI but worded unlike the textbook or transcenders.

-2 PCs can't communicate over LAN. Using Network diagnosis tools, both have identical hardware and NIC settings (including MAC address, which should of course be unique!).

A: Reset MAC address to factory settings. (MAC address can be altered in software driver, but this is not visible if diagnosing from the network.)

-What do you need in a UNC Name?

Answer: Computer and Share.

Some Security – W95 = share level, WNT = User Level (but needs a server for user list).

-Network performance accessing server decreasing. NT Server Utilisation stats are CPU 8%, Page Faults 2 per second and Disk Utilisation 25%.

Answer: Install RAID Disk Striping of some sort (to speed up disk access).

- What do NDIS and ODI give you?

Answer: NICs independent from Protocol.

-2 PCs can't communicate over LAN. Using Network diagnosis tools, both have identical hardware and NIC settings (including MAC address, which should of course be unique!).

Answer: Reset MAC address to factory settings. (MAC address can be altered in software driver, but this is not visible if diagnosing from the network.)

-What do you need in a UNC Name?

Answer: Computer and Share.