Subject: Networking Essentials 70-58

Howdy,

I just passed Networking Essentials with a score of 827. The pass level is 793, higher than any other test in the series. I'm halfway there, so I am beginning to think I may get certified someday.

You get 75 minutes to answer
53 questions.

About half of the test could be passed from simple experience working with a network. For example, here's an actual question:

Darla reports that she *used to* be able to connect to the network but now she cannot. The other computers on her network segment can connect. What is the most likely reason for this?

Three answers involving software (frame type, incorrect protocol and the like) and one suggesting that the network cable is disconnected from her workstation. If you've worked with a network at all, you'll jump on that disconnected option. One could also deduce it since she *used to* be connected. If you don't have practical experience working with a network, you should get some, and half of this test will be almost a "giveaway."

The other half will not. Microsoft is very enamored of "scenario" questions. I got about eight of them, some with multiple suggested solutions. If you use the Transcender exams or the PEP test you will see some like them. One example will show what I mean. This example used an exhibit, but I think I can describe it fairly well.

Situation: You have three networks, in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. You want to connect them.

Required Result: All computers must be able to communicate with all others at 10 Mbps.

Desired Results:

• Communications should continue in the event of a link failure
• Communications should continue at 10Mbps

First suggested solution: Two (2) T1 lines, from New York to Chicago and from Chicago to Los Angeles

Choices include It will work completely, It will give the Required but only one of the Desired results, Required but none of the Desired results, or it won't work at all.

Obviously, there is no redundancy in this solution, but it will provide the required result.

Second suggested solution: RAS at each location, with sixteen (16) 28.8 modems at each location.

This one I don't know about. No mention of multilinking, and if you did, will all that add up to 10Mbps? If it does, it will work completely. If it doesn't, it won't work at all. Or, if you don't multilink it won't work. Why would anyone use this when a third T1 will do the job? They don't use that as an alternative. I said it wouldn't provide the desired result, but as I didn't score 100% on any segment, your guess is as good as mine.

There were several such scenarios, some with as many as five desired results. The test warns you to pay close attention.

The ODI layers came up a few times, but they weren't much of a problem for me. It's those scenarios that give me the willies. If you know the concepts behind networking, you should have no real problem. But, be sure to memorize things such as the cable categories, which protocols work at which layers, and what hubs, bridges, routers and gateways are for.

Good luck!