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Working With the Command-Line Interface–NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Working With the Command-Line Interface Understanding the CLI All operating systems offer a command line interface (CLI). A specific CLI is called a ‘shell’; most OSes provide multipole shell choices. All shells have a prompt to type in commands. Many commands use switches ( -n, -a, etc.) All shells offer some form of help. (Type <help> or /?) Navigating the CLI: Windows/Linux Use the ‘cd’ command in all OSes to move the prompt to different folders/directories. Make sure you can use the ‘cd’ command in Windows, Mac and Linux environments to navigate a system. (Mac & Linux are based on Unix.) To change drives in Windows, type the drive letter…
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Maintaining Operating Systems–NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Maintaining Operating Systems Patch Management Windows 7 Update gives the user the ability to choose which updates to install and when. Windows 10 Update locks down the update system more, the only option is to pause the update and choose active hours. Patch management in Ubuntu Linux offers more options for updating. Updating with macOS is pretty much automated, like Windows 10. Working With Discs Error checking runs ‘chkdsk’ on a disk partition to check for bad sectors. Trimming allows data to be written in individual pages termed “available for use” Optimizing trims blocks in disks to allow for new data to be written in partially full blocks. Working With…
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Windows OS Under the Hood–NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Windows OS Under the Hood! What is the Registry? The Registry is the primary database for every Windows system. Registry hold settings. Registry is critical, without it, Windows won’t run!!! We use the ‘regedit’ (Registry Editor) utility to manually edit the Registry. The Registry has five root keys into which all data is organized. HKLM (Hkey local machine)–defines all the settings for a particular computer. Processes Every program currently running on a system is a process. Processes all use process IDs (PID) We use utilities like Task Manager to kill errant processes. At any moment our computer can be running hundreds of programs. These programs can be broken down into…
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Building a P.C.—NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Building a P.C. The Right PC for the Job Memorize details about each specialized system. Consider different jobs & make sure the system matches the job specifications. Concentrate on RAM, storage, & graphic needs. NAS–Network Attached Storage; used for sharing files; Usually a “headless” set-up, meaning no peripherals needed, after the initial set-up. Boot From Everything Use an ISO image of bootable media to install operating systems. Download ISO files and burn them to optical media or thumb drives. Boot to the installation media to install operating systems. You can also boot from a network server using PXE. Installing Windows Check all pre-installation tasks before installing Windows. Research new hardware…
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Understanding Partitioning—Implementing Mass Storage–NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
UNDERSTANDING PARTITIONING A partition is a logical electronic device readable by an Operating System. Partitions define the location of operating systems, swap files, and recover partitions. Partitions must be created & mounted. In Windows, partitions manifest as driver letter; in Linux/macOS, partitions manifest as folders (with slashes). Partitioning a hard drive is CRITICAL!!! MBR Partitioning MBR (Master Boot Record) is the oldest type of partition still in use today. MBR consisted of a boot loader, and up to four partitions, with one set as an active partition. If you need more than four partitions on a single drive, you create an extended partition and add logical drives to that partition.…
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Printers & Multifunction Devices—NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Printers & Multifunction Devices Laser Printers A laser hits the photosensitive drum (the cornerstone of laser printers) to create an image Memorize the laser printing process Laser printer maintenance means replacing the toner cartridge and applying maintenance kits. All laser printers have maintenance kits. These can help the printers last for years! Inkjet Printers (aka Bubblejet Printers) CYMK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, & Black) Inkjet printers use heat or mechanical process to push ink through the print heads to media. A multifunction device (MFD) includes a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine, all-in-one. Inkjet maintenance means running cleaning routines for the nozzles, plus some form of calibration. Impact Printers (aka DotMatrix)…
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Portable Computing—NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Portable Computing Laptop Features Portable computers have an Fn (function) key to activate alternative Function key options Use “Settings” in Windows to control many aspects of portable computers. Some laptops feature removable screens, turning laptops into tablets. Use a lock to secure a laptop when in a public space. Docking stations and part replicators extend the capabilities of some laptops. Laptop Hardware Troubleshooting: The Tools Start laptop repair by reviewing manufacturer online information. The iFixit Web site offers a lot of user-generated “how-to” guides. Use caution on screws & connections; take pictures of the disassembly process. Touring Your Laptop Display Check connections when replacing laptop monitors Spudgers and heat guns…
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News & Links
Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum Hit Wall Street as S&P Global Indices [via Entrepreneur] A TikTok-er Created His Own Cryptocurrency Called ‘S.C.A.M.’ [via Entrepreneur en espanol]
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Virtualization—NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
VIRTUALIZATION Understanding Virtualization Virtual machines are self-contained computers running within a host OS Hypervisors support multiple VMs A type 1 hypervisor runs directly on top of the hardware as an OS A type 2 hypervisor runs as an app in an existing OS Your First Virtual Machine Setting up a new VM takes a few steps. Install a hypervisor, like Oracle VirtualBox. Create a virtual machine in the hypervisor. Download & install an operating system, like Ubuntu Linux. Advanced VIrtualization You can modify virtual hardware easily, such as add a “drive”. Bridge a VM to connect to same network (and DHCP server) as host OS. Use NAT to put a…
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Internet & The Cloud—NETWORKING ESSENTIALS—CompTIA A+ (220-1001) A-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Internet & The Cloud The Internet Beyond the LAN Local Area Network (LAN) computers share the same network ID. A wide area network (WAN) is two or more LANs interconnected by one or more routers A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a WAN that spans a city. A personal area network (PAN) is a point-to-point connection used only in Bluetooth connections LAN—computers hooked together to one switch (All share identical Network ID) WAN—bunch of LANs interconnected with routers. Each LAN has a unique network ID. CAN—Campus Area Network MAN—Metropolitan Area Network WLAN—Wireless Local Area Network Intranet—private network Internet Tiers The Internet is composed of many organizations that connect to each…