Passed Networking Essentials today with a score of 931.

I used mostly the Sybex book and a self-study course on CD from ForeFront. Both of those sources completely missed some topics: WINS, NetBIOS, some troubleshooting, the infernal RAS modems. Not much help on the 56 Kbps modem links.

The ForeFront CD contains a bunch of modules aimed to help you cram for the required exams and some of the electives. The modules contain simulations of what actually happens on the screen in Windows NT. This is helpful for those people who don’t otherwise have access to NT server. This CD is more useful for other exams, but Networking Essentials are also included. The rep swore that the CD contains all the info that you need to pass the exam but it is not true. You need other sources. I essentially bought it because of the simulations, since I work in a strictly NetWare environment. The CD is not cheap but beats taking classes.

If you decide to buy it -- make sure that you haggle real hard with a ForeFront rep. They will quote you an inflated price hoping that you will be a sucker. Offer to pay about 1/3 less and they will make you a much better offer. Which makes me think that the price you end up paying should really be the starting point of the negotiations. Well, I already spent my money, you can see if you can haggle better.

They have a web site at www.ffg.com. You can download a demo of their products.

As I said, the CD is not cheap, I paid about $1000 for a CD with modules for Networking Essentials,

NT Server Core, NT Server Enterprise, TCP/IP, Microsoft Mail and Windows 95. That last one has been now discontinued as a test subject so it’s of no use. There was no module for NT workstation on that CD so I had to buy it separately for another $200 because NT Server was also on the CD that it came on.

Was it worth it? I’ll let you know when I’m done with all the exams.

Now let me say this -- thank God for this site. Without it I would not have known the stuff that was on the exam but not covered by any of the sources.

So, anyway, the Networking Essentials exam....

It started really easy, with a bunch off straightforward multiple choice questions about basic stuff. When I say basic I mean the stuff that was covered by all the sources I used.

I didn’t get a scenario until about 13th question. I think I had about 8 scenarios in all. About half of them were pairs of scenarios that differed only by one thing in suggested solutions.

I got the hateful RAS modem scenario with three locations connected by modems with 8 28,800 modems at each location. The required result was to have 1 Mbps connection to all locations. The optional was to still have 1 Mbps link to all locations if one link fails. Do 16 modems add to 1 Mbps (after one link failed), I don’t know. I said they did but I didn’t get a 100% for implementation so I this could be wrong.

Another scenario had three locations connected by 2 T1 links and 2 56 Kbps dial-up links. They wanted the usual 1 Mbps connection for all locations even after one T1 link failed. Would this work, I dunno. None of my sources covered 56 kbps lines in any depth.

Got two questions about terminators and grounds (with exhibits).

One diagram had a Ethernet bus (thin Ethernet) that was grounded at both ends. The network has problems. The length of the cable was given and didn’t exceed 185 m. The choices included:

a. blah
b. Ground the cable properly.
c. replace RG-58 A/U with RG-58 /U
d. make sure that cable doesn’t exceed permitted length.

I said b). ground the cable properly. It was not grounded properly because one segment can only have one ground.

Another question was with a thin Ethernet segment (RG 58 A/U) and a server at the end of another cable at right angles to the bus. The bus has two terminators and one ground. The cable that the server is on is terminated, so the segment has 3 terminators in all. The network has problems. The cumulative cable length is within limits. What would you do;

I can’t remember all the choices but I said: rearrange the segment so that it only has two terminators.

Well, I got 100% on troubleshooting so this must be right. Disagree with me if you want.

The diagram was something like this:

Terminator

|

Server

|

Terminator-------------------------------------------------------------Terminator

Ground

A question that I haven’t seen anywhere else:

You are installing a 100BaseTX FastEthernet network in a 1 story building. The company has whatever number of workstations. The rooms have 1 meter raised ceilings. What cable would you use:

1. Coax.
2. Type 5 UTP
3. UTP.
4. STP.

Now, when I read about the raised ceilings I immediately started to think about plenum cables. I couldn’t for the life of me remember whether plenum cable is UTP or STP. First I said STP and marked the question.

On second reading I realized that they are talking about FAST Ethernet so it must be type 5 UTP.

But I still could not remember whether plenum cable was UTP or STP. Anyway I left it at type 5.

A couple questions about WINS server (what would I do without this site?!!!):

- A straightforward one about what resolves NetBIOS names.

- You can ping a server but can’t find it by name. What would you check out first: WINS server.

What names can’t be duplicates in NetBIOS name scheme (choose 3):

a. computer name
b. domain name
c. workgroup name
d. user name.

Anyway, only the workgroup doesn’ seem to fit since it belongs to the peer-to-peer world.

Two questions on ODI/NDIS.

Very little about OSI layers beyond simple questions like what kind of device lives at network layer and chooses paths across networks.

Nothing about wireless communications. In fact anything wireless was mentioned only once as a choice in multiple choice question where it was obviously inapplicable.

Make sure that you notice in a scenario if any of the required or the optional results require anything that would need auditing to be enabled.

All I can say is -- study your book for basics and then come to this site to find out what else you should know.
Then go and check the answers for yourself. Don’t trust the memory of the people who already passed the test.
They are writing up their experiences while gulping down beer. After all this is their night off from cramming.

Good luck!

Jola