About 40% of people who attempt the CompTIA Network+ exam fail it on their first try. Most of them studied—they just studied the wrong way. Professor Messer's free Network+ course is the most-used prep resource for this exam, and for good reason. But "free and popular" doesn't automatically mean "sufficient." This guide breaks down exactly what Professor Messer's Network+ materials cover, where the gaps are, and how to build a study plan that actually gets you to a passing score.
What Professor Messer's Network+ Course Actually Covers
Professor Messer offers a complete, free video course aligned to the current CompTIA Network+ exam objectives (N10-009). The course spans the five exam domains: Networking Concepts, Network Implementation, Network Operations, Network Security, and Network Troubleshooting. Total video runtime sits around 17-20 hours depending on the version.
Each video maps directly to a specific exam objective. If the exam tests you on subnetting, there's a video on subnetting. If it tests 802.11 wireless standards, there's a video on that. This one-to-one alignment with CompTIA's published objectives is what makes Professor Messer's content so efficient—you're not watching content that won't appear on the test.
Beyond the videos, Professor Messer also offers:
- Course notes (PDF) — paid, ~$15-25 depending on bundle. Printable summaries of every video.
- Practice exams — paid, sold separately or in bundles. Multiple question sets with detailed explanations.
- Study groups — paid community with instructor access and scheduled study sessions.
The free tier (videos only) is genuinely complete. You can go from knowing nothing about networking to understanding the full exam blueprint using only the YouTube videos. That said, watching videos and passing an exam are not the same thing.
How Professor Messer's Network+ Teaching Style Holds Up
His format is straightforward: talking-head instruction with diagrams and slides, no fluff. If you've watched his A+ content, the Network+ course feels identical in structure. That consistency is a feature, not a limitation—learners who already trust his A+ explanations can pick up Network+ prep without adjusting to a new instructor's style.
Where the teaching shines: conceptual explanations of topics like the OSI model, IP addressing, routing protocols, and VLANs. He's patient with foundational concepts without being condescending to people who already have some networking exposure.
Where it's thinner: hands-on configuration. Professor Messer explains how OSPF works in theory, but he doesn't walk you through configuring it on Cisco gear or in GNS3. The Network+ exam does include performance-based questions (PBQs) that require you to do things like configure a network interface or interpret a packet capture. Video-only prep leaves a gap here.
Professor Messer Network+ vs. Other Study Resources
The honest comparison: Professor Messer is the best free option and competitive with many paid ones. The main paid alternatives are Mike Meyers (Total Seminars), Jason Dion (Udemy), and Darril Gibson's textbook series.
Professor Messer vs. Jason Dion (Udemy)
Dion's course runs on Udemy and typically sells for $15-20 on sale. It includes more practice questions out of the box and some additional scenario-based content. If you're the type who needs a question bank bundled with instruction, Dion is worth the small cost. If you're budget-constrained, Professor Messer + free practice questions from ExamCompass covers most of the same ground.
Professor Messer vs. Mike Meyers
Mike Meyers leans more into humor and storytelling, which works for some learners and annoys others. His content goes slightly deeper on practical networking than Professor Messer, but his exam-objective alignment is looser. For pure exam prep efficiency, Professor Messer is more focused. For building transferable networking knowledge you'll actually use on the job, Meyers adds value.
What Professor Messer Doesn't Replace
Practice exams—this is non-negotiable. Watching Professor Messer videos without doing timed practice questions is like watching cooking videos without ever cooking. You need to sit with 90 questions, under time pressure, and discover which topics you actually understand vs. which ones you think you understand. Professor Messer's paid practice exam bundle is solid; Dion's Udemy practice exams are also well-regarded and often cheaper on sale.
Lab work—optional but high-ROI. Free tools like Packet Tracer (Cisco Networking Academy, free with account) let you build actual network topologies. Even 3-4 hours in Packet Tracer configuring VLANs, static routes, and ACLs dramatically improves performance on PBQs.
Top Courses to Pair With Your Network+ Studies
Professor Messer covers the exam blueprint, but building a broader professional skill set alongside certification prep accelerates your career progress. Here are additional courses worth considering:
Innovation That Works with Professor Jagdish Sheth
A Coursera course from a well-regarded business professor covering innovation frameworks. Useful context for IT professionals moving into roles where they need to communicate technical decisions to business stakeholders—a skill gap that holds back many Network+ holders at the mid-career stage.
How to Write Emails and Engage Professors
Practical communication skills for learners actively reaching out to instructors, mentors, or study group leaders during certification prep. Clear, professional written communication is an underrated part of breaking into IT roles, especially in smaller organizations where you're emailing directly to hiring managers.
Customer Centricity with Professor Jagdish Sheth
A Coursera offering covering customer-focused strategy. Relevant for Network+ holders targeting help desk or NOC roles where understanding user needs—not just technical specs—directly affects job performance reviews.
Network+ Career Outcomes: What the Certification Actually Gets You
The Network+ is widely recognized as the entry point for networking roles. CompTIA positions it as a vendor-neutral credential that validates you can configure, manage, and troubleshoot networks at the associate level.
Realistic job titles that list Network+ as a preferred or required qualification:
- Network Technician — typically $45,000-$65,000 entry
- Help Desk / Tier 2 Support — $40,000-$60,000, with networking knowledge a differentiator
- NOC Analyst — $50,000-$75,000 at larger organizations
- Junior Network Administrator — $55,000-$75,000
- IT Support Specialist (Federal/DoD) — Network+ satisfies DoD 8570 IAT Level I requirements, which unlocks a large segment of government contract jobs
One concrete value prop for Network+: it's on the DoD 8570 baseline list. If you're targeting federal government IT roles or defense contractors, Network+ opens doors that A+ alone doesn't. This isn't widely advertised in most prep materials, but it's a significant salary lever—government contract IT roles often pay 10-20% above private sector equivalents for the same technical level.
What Network+ doesn't do: it doesn't directly compete with CCNA for Cisco-shop networking roles, and it doesn't satisfy the CISSP experience requirement for security roles. Think of it as the credential that proves you're not a complete beginner in networking, which is the bar many employers set before they'll invest in further training.
FAQ: Professor Messer Network+
Is Professor Messer's Network+ course free?
The video course is completely free on YouTube and his website (professormesser.com). Course notes (PDF study guides) and practice exam question sets are paid add-ons, typically bundled for $25-40. Most people who pass using his materials buy at least the practice exams—the videos alone are rarely sufficient without a separate question bank.
Which Network+ exam version does Professor Messer cover?
He maintains courses aligned to the current active exam. As of 2026, that's N10-009, which CompTIA released in 2024. The N10-008 version is still available on his site for reference but is being retired. Make sure you're watching N10-009 content if you're scheduling an exam now.
How long does it take to complete Professor Messer's Network+ course?
The video series runs 17-20 hours at 1x speed. Most people complete it over 3-6 weeks while working full time, watching 45-90 minutes per day. Add 20-30 hours of practice exams and review, and a realistic study timeline is 5-8 weeks for someone with no prior networking background. People with hands-on networking experience (even from IT support roles) often cut that to 3-4 weeks.
Do employers actually care about Network+?
Depends heavily on the employer. Large enterprise IT shops often require it or CCNA for networking roles. MSPs (managed service providers) frequently list it as preferred for service desk roles. Federal agencies and defense contractors care a lot due to DoD 8570 compliance requirements. Small businesses usually don't know or care about specific certifications—experience matters more there. If you're targeting any government-adjacent IT work, Network+ has outsized value relative to its difficulty.
Should I do Network+ or CCNA first?
Network+ if you're starting from scratch. CCNA if you already have a networking foundation or you're targeting specifically Cisco environments. Network+ is easier, cheaper to attempt ($369 exam fee vs. $330 for CCNA but with much more study time required), and vendor-neutral. CCNA pays better in Cisco shops but is useless if you end up in an AWS or Azure networking role. For most beginners, Network+ → Cloud+ or Security+ makes more career sense than Network+ → CCNA unless you have a specific Cisco employer in mind.
Are Professor Messer's practice exams worth paying for?
Yes, if you plan to use only his ecosystem. His practice questions are written to match his video explanations, so terminology and framing are consistent. The alternative is Jason Dion's Udemy practice exams, which many learners prefer for the sheer question volume and detailed rationale explanations. Both are around $15-25 on sale. Do not attempt the real exam without completing at least 3-4 full timed practice sets—this is where most first-time failures originate.
Bottom Line: Is Professor Messer Enough for Network+?
For the video instruction portion of your prep: yes, Professor Messer's free Network+ course is as good as anything you'll find, paid or free. It's complete, well-structured, and directly mapped to current exam objectives.
For full exam readiness: no, not by itself. You need a question bank (his paid practice exams, Dion's, or at minimum ExamCompass free questions), and you benefit significantly from 3-5 hours in Packet Tracer for PBQ practice. Budget $25-50 total for supplementary materials and you have a complete prep stack that costs less than one-tenth of a bootcamp.
The learners who fail Network+ after using Professor Messer's content almost universally skipped structured practice exams. Don't be that person. Watch the videos, buy the practice tests, do the labs, pass the exam.