Throughout your IT career, earning certifications will give you the skills you need to advance your career. IT certifications can also validate the skills you already have. No, an IT professional resume is complete without at least a few certifications. Certification is also important for those who want to specialize in a particular area of IT, such as computer networking.
Everything IT professionals do is based on the concept of networking. For this reason, the best computer networking certifications are beneficial to nearly every technician, especially those working in cybersecurity. Technicians can use network certifications to enter network infrastructure, network administration, and other network specialties. Networking certifications provide the expert technicians need to answer questions such as:
- What is a passive optical network?
- What is attenuation?
- What is network address translation?
- What is a local area network (LAN)?
Earning the best computer networking certifications will also increase your salary. According to the Global Knowledge 2020 IT Skills Salary Report, the average annual salary for those working in infrastructure, networking, and telecoms is $94,650.
Choosing the right computer networking certification can be confusing. To get started, make sure you have a solid foundation of IT skills and information systems. You can then choose whether vendor-neutral certification or vendor-specific certification is the best option for you.
Foundational IT Certifications Everyone Should Start With: Are you just starting out in an IT or entry-level position and thinking about your next steps? Either way, you need to make sure you have a solid foundation of IT skills. CompTIA's core certifications establish a knowledge base that will benefit your entire IT career and prepare you for more advanced certifications over time.
CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+): CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) is an entry-level certification for individuals with little or no IT experience. It introduces the components of IT in an easy-to-understand manner. CompTIA IT Fundamentals helps career changers and students of other majors determine if IT is right for them. Earning this certification is ideally the first step in determining if a career in computer networking is right for you.
CompTIA A+: Many employers look for CompTIA A+ candidates when hiring for entry-level IT positions. In fact, this is the industry standard for first IT jobs. But CompTIA A+ is more than PC support. Prepare candidates for troubleshooting and problem-solving. CompTIA A+ covers a wide range of IT topics from networks and operating systems to mobile devices and security. With a solid foundation of IT skills and some experience, you can focus on your networking expertise.
The Best Certifications for Computer Networking
Visit the CompTIA Infrastructure Career Pathway for the best certifications for a career in computer networking. The five certifications included in the CompTIA Infrastructure Career Pathway validate the skills across IT operations required to work with any vendor's equipment. These vendor-neutral certifications include:
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA Linux+
- CompTIA Server+
- CompTIA Cloud+
CompTIA Network+
IT professionals who own CompTIA Network+ are ready to manage and design their networks. It also allows you to better control network devices, improve network performance, troubleshoot network problems, and maintain network security. CompTIA Network+ is aimed at his IT positions such as Network Administrator, Systems Engineer, Network Support Specialist, and Network Analyst. CompTIA Network+ is ideal for those seeking a vendor-neutral certification that can advance their computer networking career.
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Security+ validates the baseline skills required to perform core IT security functions. It focuses on the latest trends and technologies in risk management, risk mitigation, threat management, and intrusion detection.
This certification helps networking professionals understand their organization and keep it secure and connected. Addresses IT job roles such as system administrator, security administrator, network engineer, and junior IT auditor/penetration tester.
CompTIA Linux+
CompTIA Linux+ covers concepts such as system configuration, command line interfaces, scripting basics, network settings and services, and system security. CompTIA Linux+ IT professionals know how to configure, boot up, and troubleshoot system network settings and services. You can also write scripts to perform basic SQL data manipulation.
This networking certification addresses job roles such as system administrator, network administrator, technical support specialist, and Linux administrator.
CompTIA Server+
CompTIA Server+ prepares IT professionals to work in data center and cloud environments. Validate the skills needed to securely manage physical and virtual servers.
This certification includes server administration skills such as installing and managing server hardware. Server management including high availability and virtualization. Security and disaster recovery. and troubleshooting. CompTIA Server+ is targeted at IT roles such as system administrators, data center technicians, network administrators, and server administrators.
CompTIA Cloud+
CompTIA Cloud+ enables IT, professionals, to deploy and automate a secure cloud environment that supports the high availability of business systems and data. IT professionals with this certification can also troubleshoot capacity, automation, connectivity, and security issues. Suitable for IT jobs such as senior system administrator, senior network administrator, system engineer, senior network engineer, and cloud engineer.
CompTIA Foundation and Network certifications are designed to stack, as each certification builds on and relates to the others. We also provide a knowledge base of vendor-specific skills and certifications, as the skills covered by CompTIA certifications are applicable to any device or system.
For example, each CompTIA certification above may be followed by vendor-specific certifications such as:
- VMware Certified Professional
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty
- Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer Certification
- Juniper Networks Certification Program
CompTIA certification is not a formal requirement but provides a strong foundation for Cisco network certification.
Cisco Networking Certifications
Cisco certifications are the most popular when looking for vendor-specific network certifications. CompTIA certifications can be combined with vendor-specific certifications to validate your expertise and apply those skills to specific tools. Cisco certifications are categorized by experience level (Associate, Professional, and Expert) and apply networking skills to Cisco devices.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): Covering Network Access, IP Connectivity, IP Services, Security Fundamentals, Automation, and Programmability, the CCNA certification is intended for IT positions such as Network Administrator, Network Engineer, and Network Specialist.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) companies: This version of his CCNP certification from Cisco replaces CCNP Routing and Switching and covers enterprise infrastructure, architecture, virtualization, network assurance, security, and automation. Candidates should have 3-5 years of experience implementing enterprise networking solutions.
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Enterprise Infrastructure: Formerly known as CCIE Routing and Switching, this networking certification is designed for expert-level technicians with five to seven years of networking experience. Technicians with this certification plan operate and troubleshoot complex enterprise networks.
Is CCNA Better Than CompTIA Network+?
CCNA and CompTIA Network+ are both popular network certifications. But which computer networking certification is right for you? CompTIA Network+ is often the better choice because CompTIA Network+ is vendor agnostic and the new CCNA is vendor specific.
CompTIA Network+ | Cisco CCNA |
Broadens an IT pro’s ability to support any equipment. | Focuses only on the skills needed for Cisco solutions. |
Prepares IT pros for specific job roles, such as network field technician, network administrator, network field engineer, and more. | Prepares IT pros to support Cisco solutions. |
Well-known by employers and may hold more weight on a resume and give an IT pro more credibility. | Many employers are unfamiliar with the revamped CCNA. |
Provides technical skills as well as business skills/professional skills. | Offers technical skills only. |
How CompTIA Can Help You Become a Certified Network Specialist
CompTIA Network+ is one of the best computer networking certifications you can get. Global Knowledge shows that CompTIA Network+ accredited credentials are in demand worldwide. Sarah K. White, her CIO senior writer at IDG, named CompTIA Network+ as one of the best IT certifications to start your career. IT Career Finder agrees, saying a Network+ certification is "an important step towards a networking or carrier career."
Acquiring CompTIA Network+ is clearly a good move. But getting certified can be overwhelming. Do not worry. CompTIA will help you every step of the way.
CompTIA can help you become a Certified Network Specialist by:
- Select a CompTIA certification. Find available IT jobs using the CompTIA Career Roadmap and IT Career Center. These resources will help you determine your certifications, such as B. CompTIA Network+ helps you get the job you want.
- Study for the certification exam. To ensure that you pass your certification exams, CompTIA provides study resources to help you pass your exams. From instructor-led training to online tools to assess your exam readiness, CompTIA has you covered. You can also use our free study planning worksheets to keep track.
- Save money on certifications. Worried about what it will cost to become a Certified Network Specialist? CompTIA offers funding options and coupon discounts for those seeking certification.
- Take the certification exam. CompTIA offers both online exams that you can take from your home or office, and in-person exams at our testing centers.
- Get a job. Once certified, you can request a digital badge to find job opportunities related to your CompTIA certification. Additionally, CompTIA and ZipRecruiter have partnered to help you find jobs based on your certifications.
Related Reading: 10 Top Networking Certifications in 2022