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Make very sure you only buy the hardcover version of this one, you're going to use it as a permanent reference forever & ever:
Lol what?
Dude, you don't need any fucking classes to start out in IT
You can buy textbooks and earn certs while spending minimum amounts of money
Do not sign up for some fucking ridiculous 23k course. That's insane.
This field is so beautiful because you can dive in without any student debt whatsoever, don't hamstring yourself by going into debt like that
If you want an entry level job, go buy the A+ cert book on amazon
Maybe do network+ too(that's the path i started out with so I'm biased I suppose).
You're talking like less than 50 bucks for the textbooks and then a couple hundred bucks for the tests(total), and with those 2 certs you can easily get an entry level help desk job and start working your way up.
It beats the fuck out of manual labor, that's for sure
There sure are books!
My favorite authors are Mike Myers and Todd Lammle.
Here's a guide for the CompTIA A+ certification.
These books can be a bit pricey, but it's EVERYTHING you need to know for the certification. If you have this book and a computer to practice on, you have everything you need to pass. The book is nearly 1,500 pages long as well. If you struggle to afford the books, you can always search online for illegal copies of older versions and possibly even the latest version that I linked. I assume the copyright police aren't going to be breaking down your doors.
The A+ certification estimates 6-9 months of hands-on training to be able to pass, but it can definitely be done in a shorter amount of time. Don't get dissuaded if after a month you feel tired of studying. Even if you don't have the means to take the exam, the information you can learn will help you so much.
Look at the CWNA curriculum. Vendor neutral and comprehensive look at wireless. CWNA is the comprehensive "intro" (though much deeper than a typical intro) to the CWNP program. A CWNA would give you a great foundation in wireless - even if you didn't want to go any further in the program. This book is the holy grail of CWNA level material. I linked the new version that is coming out in March but you could get the current version as well.
If you do decide you like it and want to go further, there are several professional level certs/curriculum that go more in depth into design/security/analysis. They have also recently released new certs and training around non-Wifi wireless technologies (like Zigbee,etc) that are used in IOT-centric areas.
Messers videos are good as they are laid out in the same order as the exam objectives, i did get this book to read and make notes from (also laid out in the same order as the objectives), i use a flashcard app to make notes and ask myself questions. with regards to the ports i did them in reverse also - what port is FTP ? or what protocol uses tcp/21 so i learnt them both ways
I would recommend his notes aswell, they are just a printable version of the videos, but i referred to this when i was reading the book and making my own notes to see if he had something i missed.
All the things he mentions have a chance of coming up on the exam, so i did my best to try commit as much of it to memory as i could.
There is an all in one A+ book on amazon (https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-901-220-902/dp/125958951X) This book is a good read through for general concepts - read it quickly, don't go super hardcore study mode on this book, its quite long. This along with professor messer (free, google it)after quickly reading through was all I used to get my A+.
If you have some knowledge of computers and perhaps built your own you could be ready for a helpdesk role already. I know all I had was "customer service" and some basic technical knowledge before I got my first job. Just be sure to word your customer service skills as if you were on the phone doing customer service - since this may be a large portion of the job. Asides from that - google common helpdesk interview questions, their answers, and then google the specific terms like dhcp and dns to understand how they work.
Ok.
WiFi for one room in an office for a dozen people is easy.
One good AP can solve that problem.
Solving WiFi coverage for a production floor (a manufacturing space, I assume) can be a much different problem.
Manufacturing equipment with all that heavy steel will obstruct the RF waves and cause dead spots.
Some manufacturing equipment can also radiate powerful RF that essentially "jams" the WiFi.
So, positioning APs in appropriate locations, and using directional or other antenna options with enhanced sensitivity will all depend on the site survey.
Maybe you won't need to do anything extra. Just throw four or five APs on the ceiling and move on with your life.
Maybe you'll need to deploy seventeen APs with an array of fancy antenna options to overcome various obstacles or challenges.
This book will probably be the best path towards understanding the challenges:
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Wireless-Network-Administrator-Study/dp/1119734509/
My honest advise is to hire a professional for this job.
For me the biggest help was the All in One book by Mike Meyers people complain that he is long winded in the book. But I think the stories that he tells give insite and the full context needed to pass the 1002 exam. I'll add a link below.
What are you using to study right now?
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I have my second test today, but I've used Mike Meyer's book as well as his Udemy course. Then I used Jason Dion's practice exams. Those are all very popular resources to get started.
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Another popular (and free) resource is professor Messer on Youtube.
Mike Meyers book is what I used. Here is the the link to Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-901-220-902/dp/125958951X
Basically the A+ bible right there. Mike Meyers cert books are pretty much the go to. For CCNA, they publish their own stuff.
This book goes into overkill on all the topics, it kinda explains things as the author sees it logically. I bought this book first and read it from start to finish and it was a long haul. i would recommend the passport version of the book, it is organised as the topics are on the exam and gives you the information needed with minimal extra.
I would also recommend watching Professor Messers videos as he gives you the information needed as they are in the objectives.
There is alot of great information on this post. I was actually in the same boat as the description you gave. Wanted to get into programming but did not understand how to actually apply the knowledge after going through some lynda/youtube courses.
I have purchased a study guide for the Comp TIA A+ certification after christmas to broaden my understanding on hardware, networks, and security. Hopefully it helps, but if there are any other suggestions please let me know! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1260454037/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HNm-FbDR5BR2K
I bought this book to study. It's a bit thiccc at 1,318 pages of study content, but it helped me pass. I watched some YouTube videos because I was having a hard time conceptualizing how printers work; and made flashcards for things like port numbers and IP address classes (although the address classes wasn't on the exam at all). I'm sure there's probably shorter books to help cram the important information in; or if you prefer videos, Professor Messer has an A+ Certification series on YouTube.
I'm reading Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Passport, and it follows the exam objectives (which is one reason why I am using it). Prowse's Exam Cram also follows the objectives, too, though it is a little too thorough for my taste, discussing material that I don't think will be on either of the A+ tests.
You can find both of these books at https://learning.oreilly.com/, which you can check out through a trial account.
Awesome! I'm feeling more and more confident about this now! I'll most likely attempt a networking certification through CompTIA as well, but later on. I believe you're referring to the book that I saw on Amazon:
CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition (Exams 220-901 & 220-902)
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/125958951X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nTIlybCJWQ4J1
It's the one I was considering buying, but I saw 2015 somewhere on the page and didn't know if it was still applicable.
I honestly have no idea between the differences of the two without looking it up. I took my Net+ back in 2007. The new test and objectives should be fun because it covers all the new things out there to include SCADA. Pretty good stuff.
From my experience doing certs, I really love the "All-In-One" series books. Mike Myers has been authoring the Network+ (and other books) for a while now and he has a book on Amazon for the n10-006 version. I would highly recommend getting that!
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Guide-Sixth-N10-006/dp/0071848223
I'm not sure of any websites but if you look up Professor Messer on youtube he streams a study group that you could follow along with. His channel is here:https://www.youtube.com/user/professormesser . You can buy the book from amazon for like 30 bucks I think. Good luck!
Yes everyone gets the cup, it comes with your webcam. How much IT experience do you have? Are you bringing any certs in with you(A+ maybe?). If not I'd suggest beginning to study for them now because they can eat a lot of time. There's a lot of resources for A+ out there that are free or close to it. I really liked Mike Meyers A+ book. It's $24 on Amazon but well worth it. Same for his Network+ book.
I used Mike Myers’ All-In-One guide and the Sybex A+ when I took mine a few years back. Both were good resources. I would highly recommend doing the included activities they mention in the chapters and take the chapter quizzes while reading through to enforce the concepts and hone in on what you need to work on.
Here’s an Amazon link to the newest AIO book:
Here’s a link to the newest Sybex book:
CompTIA A+ is not very difficult so you don't really need a lot of study material in my opinion. All you really need is the All-In-One book: A+ All In One exam guide . It will also help to take notes, flashcards, etc.
The Google IT Cert is not as "beneficial" as the CompTIA A+ just for the fact that most companies list the A+ as a requirement or it is more in demand per say. Its never a bad idea to keep learning so its not bad to get the Google IT cert, its just that CompTIA A+ is more recognized in the industry.
Of course it will help. Getting the actual study book on amazon will help as well. It's $30 and covers every last detail you'll need. I've never been much of a video guy. Reading and exercises have always been more effective for me. Maybe it will benefit you more too. https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=A%2B+certification&qid=1594741809&sr=8-3
I think these are the defacto study guides:
I strongly recommend the Comptia Network+ Exam Book. I've had it for a while now, and you will learn quite litterly everything there is to know about the backbone of networking and the internet. It's meant as a preparation for the CompTIA Network+ Certification, which certifies you are competent enough to work in a networking environment, and is very comprehensive (~ 600 pages). It was invaluable for my positions in cybersecurity.
I really like the way Andrei Alexandrescu gives presentations and talks, and it's because of him that I'm giving the D language a chance (and his book The D Programming Language)
Jump straight to the CWNA. CWT is focused more on what you're already doing, basically field work. And I agree with /u/WearyIntention, Sybex study guide is known as the wifi bible for a reason.
https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Wireless-Network-Administrator-Study/dp/1119734509
I had the Sec+ version, but seems like the books by Mike Meyers are the best. Here's the A+ version.
Here's the book many have used (myself included) to study and pass the A+ exam. It basically fills in all the holes if you're missing any knowledge/experience:
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037