What the actual N10-007 session feels like

I took N10-007 as a very CompTIA-style exam: broad coverage, lots of terminology overlap, and several questions where two answers look plausible until you catch one technical detail. Expect up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, and that matters because Network+ questions are not all equal. Some are one-line acronym checks, but others are mini troubleshooting scenarios or PBQs that can eat several minutes.

The exam usually mixes:

Standard multiple choice
Multiple response questions where more than one answer is required
PBQs (performance-based questions), typically drag-and-drop, matching, topology interpretation, CLI output interpretation, or configuration/troubleshooting scenarios

For this exam specifically, the time pressure comes from PBQs plus networking math/logic questions. If you burn 10 minutes trying to perfect the first simulation, you create a problem for yourself later in the troubleshooting domain. The practical way to handle N10-007 is:

Open the PBQs, assess them fast, and flag any that require building a full configuration from scratch.
Do not sit there trying to remember every cable pinout or ACL nuance from memory while the clock runs.
Aim for the easier multiple-choice questions first because they often confirm terminology you can reuse when you return to PBQs.

CompTIA lets you move around and return to flagged items. Use that. On this exam, that is not generic advice; it is specifically important because the PBQs often appear early and are a bad place to get stuck. I finished by using the last part of my time to revisit the PBQs with a cleaner head and with some related concepts refreshed by later questions.

Another N10-007-specific point: this version still leans heavily on traditional networking rather than cloud-only abstractions. You will see classic enterprise network topics everywhere: VLANs, STP, routing protocols, wireless standards, cable types, WAN links, ports, and layered troubleshooting. If your prep is too modern and too high-level, the exam will punish that.

Where the points really are: the domains to prioritize

The weighting on N10-007 should drive your study order. The biggest domain is Infrastructure, followed by Network Operations, then Network Security, then Troubleshooting and Tools, with Network Architecture a bit lighter but still important. The mistake I see people make is overstudying abstract architecture diagrams and understudying the ugly operational details CompTIA actually tests.

If your time is limited, prioritize in this order:

Infrastructure
Troubleshooting and Tools
Network Operations
Network Security
Network Architecture

Why Infrastructure first? Because this domain is packed with high-frequency exam material:

Routing concepts and protocol behavior
Switching, VLANs, trunking, STP basics
Wireless deployment and antenna/access point behavior
Cabling, connectors, transceivers, and physical standards
WAN technologies and remote access
Network devices and where they belong in a design

On N10-007, Infrastructure questions often combine two topics. Example: not just “what is a trunk port,” but “why are multiple VLANs not passing between switches after a change,” which forces you to think about VLAN tagging, native VLAN mismatch, and switchport mode. That is classic CompTIA.

Troubleshooting and Tools is worth more focus than many candidates give it because CompTIA loves symptom-based questions. They describe a failed connection, partial connectivity, poor wireless performance, or an intermittent issue, then ask for the most likely cause or best next administrative action. This domain also overlaps everything else. If you know ports, routing, DNS, AP placement, and cable issues, troubleshooting becomes easier.

Network Operations is not just documentation fluff. On this exam it includes practical operations topics such as:

Disaster recovery terms and backup methods
Monitoring tools and logs
Policies and procedures
High availability concepts
SNMP, syslog, NetFlow and performance monitoring

CompTIA likes to ask operations questions in a way that sounds managerial but is actually technical. For example, they may ask what tool should be used to identify bandwidth hogs or interface errors, and the answer depends on whether you need flow data, logs, or real-time utilization.

Subnetting, ports, and protocol behavior: the easy-looking killers

A lot of candidates walk into N10-007 thinking subnetting will be a small part. It is not always dominant in raw question count, but when it appears, it slows people down and causes second-guessing. You need to be fast on:

CIDR notation to subnet mask conversion
Number of hosts per subnet
Number of subnets created
Network ID, broadcast address, and valid host range
Recognizing whether two IPs are in the same subnet

The exam does not usually require long binary marathons. What it does require is quick recognition. If you cannot instantly tell what /26, /27, /28, /29 mean in terms of host counts and block sizes, fix that before exam day.

A good N10-007 tactic is to memorize these cold:

/24 = 256 addresses, 254 usable
/25 = 128, 126 usable
/26 = 64, 62 usable
/27 = 32, 30 usable
/28 = 16, 14 usable
/29 = 8, 6 usable
/30 = 4, 2 usable

CompTIA also likes questions where the subnetting is hidden inside a scenario. Example: a branch office needs 28 usable addresses, or two hosts cannot communicate after a mask change. You are expected to infer the subnet issue, not just solve a math problem.

Ports and protocols are another area people treat as memorization-only, but N10-007 often tests them through behavior:

DNS: name resolution failures vs broader connectivity failures
DHCP: APIPA symptoms, scope exhaustion, lease problems, rogue DHCP implications
NTP: time sync issues affecting logs or authentication
SNMP: monitoring, traps vs polling, version security implications
HTTP/HTTPS, FTP/SFTP, SSH, Telnet, RDP, SMB, LDAP/LDAPS

Do not just memorize port numbers. Know what a failure looks like. If a user can ping an IP but not browse by hostname, CompTIA is steering you toward DNS. If devices self-assign 169.254.x.x, think DHCP failure before anything else. If a question mentions encrypted remote CLI access, the answer is SSH, not Telnet, even if both are technically remote administration protocols.

One more trap here: CompTIA loves near-neighbor protocol names. People confuse:

TFTP vs FTP vs SFTP
LDAP vs LDAPS
RADIUS vs TACACS+
IMAP vs POP3 vs SMTP
SIP vs RTP

You need the use case, not just the acronym.

Routing, switching, and wireless: where CompTIA gets sneaky

This exam still has a very old-school Network+ core, and the routing/switching/wireless material is where that shows. You need to understand not just definitions, but what happens when something is misconfigured.

For switching, be ready for questions on:

VLAN purpose and segmentation
Access port vs trunk port
802.1Q tagging
Native VLAN issues
STP and loop prevention
PoE and what devices need it
MAC address tables and switching behavior

The common trap is that CompTIA gives you a symptom that could be either Layer 1, Layer 2, or Layer 3. Example: users in one department lose access after a switch replacement. If devices on the same VLAN can talk locally but cannot reach other VLANs, the problem is probably not the cable. It might be trunking, inter-VLAN routing, or a wrong VLAN assignment.

For routing, know the practical differences among:

Static routing
Default routes
Dynamic routing concepts
Distance-vector vs link-state basics
Administrative distance/metric ideas at a high level
Route selection logic

N10-007 is not a CCNA-style routing exam, but it absolutely expects you to know what a router does, when a default gateway matters, and why a route issue causes one pattern of failure while a switching problem causes another. If only remote networks are unreachable but local subnet communication works, think routing/default gateway before DNS or firewall.

Wireless on this version is heavily tested, and it is one of the easiest places to lose points because the terms blur together. You need to know:

802.11 standards and their frequency bands/speed expectations
2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz tradeoffs
Channel overlap, especially on 2.4 GHz
Interference sources such as microwaves, cordless phones, Bluetooth, thick walls
SSID, encryption, authentication, captive portal, enterprise vs personal modes
Omnidirectional vs directional antennas
AP placement and coverage behavior

CompTIA likes wireless scenarios such as:

Users have weak signal at the edge of a floor
Connections drop only at lunchtime near a breakroom
Two APs interfere after a new installation
Guest wireless should be isolated from internal resources

The gotcha is that the answer is often environmental or design-related, not just “increase transmit power.” In fact, power increases can worsen roaming and interference. If the scenario mentions neighboring AP overlap or limited channels, think channel planning. If it mentions a warehouse aisle or point-to-point link, think directional antennas. If the issue affects only 2.4 GHz devices in a busy office, think interference and channel saturation.

Troubleshooting questions on N10-007 are pattern recognition tests

The troubleshooting section on this exam is less about formal methodology recitation and more about matching symptoms to likely causes. CompTIA will still expect you to know the troubleshooting process, but the scoring comes from correctly reading the pattern.

A few patterns I saw repeatedly in practice and in the exam style:

APIPA address (169.254.x.x) = DHCP problem, not DNS
Can ping IP but not hostname = DNS issue
Can reach local subnet but not remote network = default gateway or routing issue
Intermittent network for one user after moving desks = bad cable, duplex mismatch, wrong switch port/VLAN, or damaged jack
Slow wireless for everyone in one area = interference, channel overlap, too many clients on one AP, poor placement
Website unavailable internally but reachable externally = split-brain DNS, internal DNS record issue, proxy/filtering, or internal path problem
VoIP jitter/choppy calls during backups = QoS/bandwidth contention

The exam also likes tool-based troubleshooting. Know what each tool is best for:

ping: basic reachability and IP stack checks
tracert/traceroute: path discovery and hop failure location
ipconfig/ifconfig: local addressing and interface state
netstat: active connections and listening ports
nslookup/dig: DNS resolution testing
nmap: port scanning/basic discovery
tcpdump/Wireshark/protocol analyzer: packet capture and protocol-level analysis
cable tester, toner probe, loopback plug, punchdown tool, crimper: physical layer work

CompTIA sometimes asks for the best next tool, not the root cause. That distinction matters. If the scenario is “users report poor performance and the admin needs to identify top talkers,” a protocol analyzer might help, but NetFlow or a bandwidth monitor may be the better answer depending on the wording. If the issue is “verify whether a DNS server returns the expected record,” use nslookup, not ping.

Another recurring trap: they often include an answer that would eventually help, but is too destructive or too broad for the symptom. Example: rebooting a switch, replacing a router, or reimaging a workstation when the actual issue points to a simple configuration mismatch. The exam favors the most targeted technical fix that matches the evidence.

Security and operations topics that look simple but hide gotchas

N10-007 security is not as deep as Security+, but it is wide enough to trip you if you only know buzzwords. Focus on network-relevant controls and what they are used for in practice:

ACLs for traffic filtering
Port security on switches
802.1X for port-based access control
VPN types and where they fit
WPA2/WPA3 concepts, enterprise vs personal
Segmentation through VLANs and DMZ placement
IDS vs IPS
Physical security controls in network environments

CompTIA likes to test security by asking which control best fits a scenario. Example: if the goal is to isolate public-facing services from the internal LAN, the answer is usually DMZ placement, not simply “firewall.” If the issue is unauthorized devices plugging into switch ports, 802.1X or port security fits better than a perimeter control.

For operations, know the distinctions among the monitoring and documentation tools:

SNMP for device monitoring and traps
Syslog for centralized event logs
NetFlow for traffic flow analysis
SIEM for aggregated security/event correlation at a higher level
Baselines for normal performance comparison
Configuration management and change control documentation

CompTIA often writes these questions in a way that punishes vague understanding. If the prompt asks for historical traffic pattern analysis, NetFlow is stronger than syslog. If it asks where a switch sends event messages, syslog is the fit. If it asks what should be documented before and after a network change, think change management, rollback plans, and configuration backups rather than troubleshooting steps.

How to handle PBQs on this specific exam

The PBQs on N10-007 are usually not coding or heavy CLI labs. They are more likely to be structured network tasks: match devices to functions, place components in a topology, identify where a failure exists, assign VLANs or IP settings, interpret command output, or choose the right cable/interface.

The PBQ danger is overcomplicating them. On this exam, the simulations usually test whether you know standard networking relationships, not whether you can build an enterprise from scratch. When you open a PBQ:

First identify whether it is testing topology knowledge, addressing, or troubleshooting.
Look for labels and clues already on the diagram: subnet masks, VLAN IDs, port names, SSIDs, gateway addresses.
If command output is shown, read only the fields that answer the question. Do not parse every line like it is a packet capture exam.

Common PBQ themes for N10-007 prep:

Matching cables/connectors to use cases
Assigning devices to the correct network segment or topology location
Fixing IP/subnet/default gateway mistakes
Identifying which switch/router setting is causing loss of connectivity
Wireless placement or antenna selection based on building layout

A very practical tactic: before exam day, practice drag-and-drop and diagram questions on networking topics, not just pure multiple-choice. People who know the material still lose time because they are not used to translating knowledge into a visual task. With 700 practice questions on Truekia, use that volume to identify whether your weak area is not knowledge itself but question format switching.

The final-week cram list that actually matters for N10-007

In the last week, I would not reread everything. I would drill the items this exam repeatedly turns into score losses.

Use this checklist:

Memorize common ports and protocols with actual use cases, not just numbers.
Be able to do subnetting for /24 through /30 quickly without writing long binary conversions.
Review wireless standards, channel overlap, 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz behavior, and interference sources.
Rehearse VLAN/access/trunk/native VLAN/STP concepts until you can diagnose basic switch scenarios.
Review routing vs switching vs DNS vs DHCP symptom patterns.
Know network tools by purpose: nslookup, netstat, tracert, protocol analyzer, cable tester, toner, loopback plug.
Review WAN technologies and remote access options enough to distinguish MPLS, leased line, Metro-E, broadband, VPN, and cellular use cases.
Refresh security controls that are network-specific: ACL, 802.1X, IDS/IPS, VPN, WPA2 enterprise, DMZ.
Know operations terms that CompTIA likes to blur together: SNMP, syslog, NetFlow, baseline, SLA, MTTR, change management.

What I would not waste final-week time on for N10-007:

Deep vendor-specific CLI syntax
Overly advanced routing protocol tuning details beyond exam scope
Cloud networking topics that belong more to newer exams

The blunt truth is that N10-007 rewards candidates who can recognize standard enterprise network problems fast. If you can look at a symptom and immediately sort it into addressing, name resolution, switching, routing, wireless, or security segmentation, you are aligned with how CompTIA writes this exam. If your knowledge is broad but fuzzy, the answer choices will feel annoyingly similar.