Over a million people have watched individual Professor Messer Network+ videos on YouTube. The man charges nothing for the core material, has been updating it for over a decade, and consistently produces students who pass on their first attempt. At some point that stops being a coincidence and starts being a curriculum worth understanding before you throw money at a bootcamp.
This guide breaks down exactly what Professor Messer's Network+ training includes, where it falls short, how the N10-009 update changed things, and what supplemental material you actually need—if any.
What Professor Messer Network+ Is (and Isn't)
Professor Messer is the online name of Jason Messer, a CompTIA-certified instructor who has been publishing free IT certification training since 2008. His Network+ course is a complete, exam-aligned video series covering every objective on the CompTIA Network+ exam. As of 2025, that means the N10-009 version.
The free material lives on his website (professormesser.com) and on YouTube. It's organized by exam domain, not by topic popularity or how much time instructors like to spend on things. That structure matters—it means you're not watching 45 minutes on subnetting because an instructor finds it interesting; you're watching as long as the exam objective actually warrants.
What it is not: a hand-holding experience. Professor Messer lectures clearly and methodically, but he doesn't slow down for people who've never opened a command prompt. If you're completely new to IT, you may need to pause frequently and do additional reading. That's not a flaw in the course—it's just the format.
What the Professor Messer Network+ Course Covers
The N10-009 exam has five domains. Professor Messer covers all of them:
- Networking Concepts (23%): OSI model, TCP/IP stack, ports and protocols, DNS, DHCP, IP addressing, subnetting, IPv6, routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP), cloud models, and virtualization basics.
- Network Implementation (19%): Ethernet standards, switching concepts, VLANs, spanning tree, wireless standards (802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6), antenna types, and network topologies.
- Network Operations (17%): Documentation, change management, disaster recovery, high availability, monitoring tools, network performance baselines, and remote access.
- Network Security (20%): Common attack types, defense strategies, firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, AAA frameworks, physical security, and IoT considerations.
- Network Troubleshooting (21%): The troubleshooting methodology, cable and hardware issues, wireless interference, CLI tools (ping, traceroute, nslookup, netstat), and common connectivity problems.
Each video averages 10–15 minutes. The full free series runs somewhere between 18–22 hours depending on the version you're watching. That's a complete course, not a highlights reel.
Free vs. Paid: What Professor Messer Actually Sells
The free tier is genuine—not a loss leader that locks core content behind a paywall. The videos are the course. What Professor Messer charges for are the study aids:
- Study Notes and Lab Manual: A downloadable PDF ($25–$30 range) that summarizes every exam objective with diagrams. Useful if you retain information better from reading than video.
- Practice Exams: Question sets sold separately, organized by domain and in a full timed-exam format. These are the most commonly recommended paid add-on because the free videos don't include practice questions.
- Course Bundles: Study notes + practice exams together, usually discounted.
The honest assessment: the free videos alone have passed a lot of people. But if you're serious about passing the first time, the practice exams are worth the $25–$35. CompTIA's question style is specific—understanding a concept and being able to identify the right answer from four plausible choices are different skills. You need exam repetition to bridge that gap.
N10-008 vs. N10-009: Which Version Should You Study?
The N10-008 exam retired in December 2024. If you're starting your Network+ prep now, you need the N10-009 content. Professor Messer has published updated N10-009 video series, so there's no reason to use the older material.
The differences between the two versions aren't enormous—networking fundamentals don't change—but the N10-009 added more emphasis on cloud networking, security automation, and Zero Trust concepts. These aren't afterthoughts on the new exam. CompTIA shifted the weight toward cloud and security topics because that's where the job market moved.
If you find older Professor Messer content indexed on YouTube or third-party sites, check the exam code before you start. Studying N10-008 material for an N10-009 exam won't sink you, but you'll have gaps.
Is Professor Messer Network+ Enough to Pass?
For most people with some IT background: yes, combined with practice exams. For people new to networking: probably not on its own.
The course gives you the knowledge. The gaps are typically:
- Hands-on practice: Professor Messer doesn't include labs. If you haven't configured a VLAN or traced a routing issue, reading about it isn't the same. Packet Tracer (free from Cisco) fills this gap for most Network+ topics.
- Practice questions: As mentioned, you need to practice the question format. Get either Professor Messer's own practice exams or something like Jason Dion's Udemy question sets.
- Reading speed vs. video pace: Some people find they need a text reference alongside the videos. The official CompTIA Network+ Study Guide is thorough but expensive—Professor Messer's own notes PDF is cheaper and tightly scoped.
The students who fail after using Professor Messer's course typically either skipped practice questions, didn't do any hands-on work, or tried to cram the whole thing in a week. The material is solid. The approach matters.
Career Value of the Network+ Certification
Network+ is a mid-entry credential—it's not for someone who's never touched a computer, and it's not a senior-level cert. The realistic job titles it supports are help desk tier 2, junior network technician, NOC analyst, and IT support specialist. Some government and DoD contractor roles require it explicitly (it's DoD 8570 approved).
Salary data from CompTIA's own surveys puts Network+-certified professionals at a median around $65,000–$75,000 in the US, though this varies heavily by geography and industry. The cert matters more as a door-opener than as a direct salary multiplier—once you're in a networking role, your actual skills and experience drive compensation.
From a certification pathway perspective, Network+ is a solid bridge between CompTIA A+ (entry-level IT fundamentals) and more advanced certs like Security+, CCNA, or cloud-specific certifications. Many people take Network+ specifically because it's a prerequisite pathway or because their employer covers it under a training benefit.
Top Courses
Professor Messer's material is the gold standard for free Network+ prep, but there are other courses worth knowing about depending on your learning style and career direction.
Photoshop Professor Notes - Volumes 1-5
A structured notes-based learning approach similar to Professor Messer's own study notes format—if you're working across multiple certifications or creative tools and prefer comprehensive written references over video, this series demonstrates what high-quality instructor notes look like at scale.
Photoshop Professor Notes - Adobe Camera Raw and Bridge
Another example of Professor Notes-style structured learning, useful if you're pursuing IT roles that overlap with media production or digital asset management environments where cross-functional skills matter.
How to Write Emails and Engage Professors
If you're a student using Professor Messer's free resources alongside a formal IT program, this Coursera course covers professional communication with instructors—a practical skill when you need to ask for clarification on technical material or pursue academic reference letters for job applications.
FAQ
Is Professor Messer Network+ really free?
The complete video series is free on his website and YouTube. Study notes, lab manuals, and practice exams are paid add-ons, typically in the $25–$35 range each. You can pass using only the free videos plus third-party practice questions if you want to keep costs at zero.
How long does it take to complete Professor Messer's Network+ course?
The video content itself is roughly 18–22 hours. Most people spread study across 4–8 weeks while working, depending on how much time they can commit daily. If you're studying full-time, three to four weeks is a realistic timeline including practice exam repetition.
Which exam version does Professor Messer Network+ cover—N10-008 or N10-009?
Professor Messer has published content for both versions, but since N10-008 retired in December 2024, you should use the N10-009 series. Check the exam code label on whatever playlist or page you're starting from before committing hours to it.
Does Professor Messer Network+ include practice questions?
No. The free course is video-only. Practice exams are a separate paid purchase on his site. Many people supplement with Jason Dion's Udemy practice exam sets or the official CompTIA practice tests, which are available separately.
Is Professor Messer good for someone with no networking background?
It works, but expect to pause frequently and do supplemental reading. The lectures assume you know basic IT concepts—if you don't know what an IP address is at all, spend a few hours on fundamentals first. CompTIA A+ material or a basic networking primer on YouTube will close that gap before you start.
How does Professor Messer compare to paid courses like CBT Nuggets or LinkedIn Learning?
Paid platforms offer production polish, lab environments, and progress tracking dashboards. Professor Messer's content is comparable in depth and often more concise. The practical difference for most students: if you're self-disciplined and just need the knowledge, Professor Messer is sufficient. If you need a structured learning environment with accountability features, a paid platform earns its cost.
Bottom Line
Professor Messer Network+ is the best free resource for CompTIA Network+ exam prep, and it competes seriously with paid alternatives. The lectures are dense without being padded, the exam alignment is accurate, and the fact that it's been maintained for over a decade means the content reflects how networking instruction has evolved—not just a one-time upload.
What to do: start with the free N10-009 video series. After completing each domain, buy Professor Messer's practice exams or a comparable question bank and drill until you're consistently scoring 80%+ before you book your exam date. Add Cisco Packet Tracer for any hands-on gaps. That combination—free videos, $30–$60 in practice materials, and free lab software—will put most people in a position to pass without spending $500 on a bootcamp.
If you prefer a more structured or comprehensive paid course alongside it, the CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Full Course & Practice Exam on Udemy is a reasonable complement, particularly for its bundled practice questions.