When preparing for the CompTIA Network+ exam, it’s important to stick closely to the official objectives. This section is officially titled “3.4 – Implement IPv4 and IPv6 Network Services”, which focuses on DHCP, SLAAC, DNS, and time protocols like NTP and PTP. If you’re using ASM’s study materials, you may notice it’s mislabeled as “Explain the Purpose of Network Policies and Best Practices.” Don’t worry—the content is the same. In this blog, we’ll break down the services you’ll need to know, why they matter, and how they show up on the exam..

Dynamic Addressing: Making IP Management Simple

Manually assigning IP addresses on a large network would be a nightmare. That’s where DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) steps in. It automatically hands out IP addresses, subnet masks, gateways, and more to client devices.

A few terms you need to know:

• Reservations – Locks an IP address to a device’s MAC address (useful for printers, servers, or anything that must stay consistent).

• Scope – Defines the pool of addresses DHCP can assign.

• Lease Time – Controls how long a device can keep its address before renewing.

• Options – Provides extra details like the default gateway or DNS servers.

• Relay (IP Helper) – Forwards DHCP requests across subnets, letting one DHCP server serve multiple networks.

• Exclusions – Blocks off addresses that should never be assigned automatically (to avoid conflicts with static IPs).

In IPv6 environments, there’s also SLAAC (Stateless Address Autoconfiguration). This allows devices to self-assign an IP using router advertisements no DHCP server required. It’s especially useful for lightweight or temporary networks.

Name Resolution: Turning Names Into Numbers

Computers don’t understand “google.com.” They understand IP addresses. DNS (Domain Name System) bridges that gap by translating human-readable names into machine-friendly numbers.

Security in DNS

Because DNS traffic is a prime target for attackers, newer technologies improve its security:

• DNSSEC – Ensures data integrity with cryptographic signatures.

• DoH (DNS over HTTPS) – Encrypts DNS queries over port 443.

• DoT (DNS over TLS) – Encrypts DNS queries over port 853.

Common DNS Record Types

• A Record – Maps a domain to an IPv4 address.

• AAAA Record – Maps to IPv6.

• CNAME – An alias pointing to another domain.

• MX – Mail server for the domain.

• TXT – Custom text entries (commonly for SPF or DKIM email security).

• NS – Points to authoritative name servers.

• PTR – Reverse lookup: IP to hostname.

Zones and Servers

• Forward Zone – Hostname → IP.

• Reverse Zone – IP → Hostname.

• Authoritative DNS – Holds the original records.

• Non-Authoritative DNS – Relays cached information.

• Primary vs. Secondary DNS – Editable vs. read-only copies for redundancy.

• Recursive DNS – Does the work of querying other servers until an answer is found.

And don’t forget the hosts file — a simple text file that predates DNS but is still useful for testing or local overrides.

Time Protocols: Keeping the Network in Sync

A surprising amount of IT depends on synchronized time. Authentication, logs, and even financial transactions can break if clocks drift apart.

• NTP (Network Time Protocol) – The standard for keeping devices in sync.

• PTP (Precision Time Protocol) – Offers microsecond-level accuracy, essential in industries like telecom, finance, and automation.

• NTS (Network Time Security) – Adds cryptographic authentication to NTP, helping defend against spoofed time servers.

Why This Matters for the Exam (and Real Life)

For the Network+ exam, you’ll need to recognize these terms and know when to apply them. Expect scenario-based questions like:

• Matching DNS record types to their function.

• Choosing between SLAAC vs. DHCPv6 in IPv6 setups.

• Identifying whether a response is authoritative or non-authoritative.

• Understanding the precision difference between NTP and PTP.

• Knowing which ports are used by DoH (443) and DoT (853).

In real-world networking, these aren’t just test questions — they’re the tools that keep your network secure, efficient, and reliable.