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Ebook Comptia Network Certification All in One Exam Guide Seventh Edition Exam N10 007 Mike Meyers Meyers Online PDF All Chapter
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Becoming a CompTIA Certified IT
Professional Is Easy
It’s also the best way to reach greater professional opportunities and rewards.
Higher Salaries
IT professionals with certifications on their resume command better jobs,
earn higher salaries, and have more doors open to new multi-industry
opportunities.
Verified Strengths
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valuable in validating IT expertise, making certification the best way to
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Universal Skills
CompTIA certifications are vendor neutral—which means that certified
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Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 Network Models
Historical/Conceptual
Working with Models
Biography of a Model
Network Models
The OSI Seven-Layer Model in Action
Welcome to MHTechEd!
Test Specific
Let’s Get Physical—Network Hardware and Layers 1–2
Beyond the Single Wire—Network Software and Layers
3–7
The TCP/IP Model
The Link Layer
The Internet Layer
The Transport Layer
The Application Layer
Frames, Packets, and Segments/Datagrams, Oh My!
The Tech’s Troubleshooting Tools
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 2 Cabling and Topology
Test Specific
Network Topologies
Bus and Ring
Star
Hybrid
Mesh
Parameters of a Topology
Cabling and Connectors
Copper Cabling and Connectors
Fiber-Optic Cabling and Connectors
Other Cables
Fire Ratings
Networking Industry Standards—IEEE
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 3 Ethernet Basics
Historical/Conceptual
Ethernet
802.3 Standards
Test Specific
Ethernet Frames
Early Ethernet Standards
Bus Ethernet
10BaseT
10BaseFL
CSMA/CD
Enhancing and Extending Ethernet Networks
The Trouble with Hubs
Switches to the Rescue
Connecting Ethernet Segments
Troubleshooting Switches
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 4 Modern Ethernet
Test Specific
100-Megabit Ethernet
100BaseT
100BaseFX
Gigabit Ethernet
1000BaseSX
1000BaseLX
SFF Fiber Connectors
Mechanical Connection Variations
Implementing Multiple Types of Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Evolutions
10 Gigabit Ethernet
Beyond Network+
IEEE 802.3ba
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 5 Installing a Physical Network
Historical/Conceptual
Understanding Structured Cabling
Cable Basics—A Star Is Born
Test Specific
Structured Cable—Network Components
Structured Cable—Beyond the Star
Installing Structured Cabling
Getting a Floor Plan
Mapping the Runs
Determining the Location of the Telecommunications
Room
Pulling Cable
Making Connections
Testing the Cable Runs
NICs
Buying NICs
Link Lights
Diagnostics and Repair of Physical Cabling
Diagnosing Physical Problems
Check Your Lights
Check the NIC
Cable Testing
Problems in the Telecommunications Room
Toners
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 6 TCP/IP Basics
Historical/Conceptual
Test Specific
The TCP/IP Protocol Suite
Internet Layer Protocols
Transport Layer Protocols
Application Layer Protocols
IP and Ethernet
IP Addresses
IP Addresses in Action
Class IDs
CIDR and Subnetting
Subnetting
CIDR: Subnetting in the Real World
IP Address Assignment
Static IP Addressing
Dynamic IP Addressing
Special IP Addresses
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 7 Routing
Historical/Conceptual
How Routers Work
Test Specific
Routing Tables
Freedom from Layer 2
Network Address Translation
Dynamic Routing
Routing Metrics
Distance Vector and Path Vector
Link State
EIGRP
Dynamic Routing Makes the Internet
Route Redistribution
Working with Routers
Connecting to Routers
Basic Router Configuration
Router Problems
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 8 TCP/IP Applications
Historical/Conceptual
Transport Layer and Network Layer Protocols
How People Communicate
Test Specific
TCP
UDP
ICMP
IGMP
The Power of Port Numbers
Registered Ports
Connection Status
Rules for Determining Good vs. Bad Communications
Common TCP/IP Applications
The World Wide Web
Telnet and SSH
E-mail
FTP
Internet Applications
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 9 Network Naming
Test Specific
Before DNS
NetBIOS
hosts
DNS
How DNS Works
DNS Servers
Troubleshooting DNS
Diagnosing TCP/IP Networks
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 10 Securing TCP/IP
Test Specific
Making TCP/IP Secure
Encryption
Integrity
Nonrepudiation
Authentication
Authorization
TCP/IP Security Standards
User Authentication Standards
Encryption Standards
Combining Authentication and Encryption
Secure TCP/IP Applications
HTTPS
SCP
SFTP
SNMP
LDAP
NTP
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 11 Advanced Networking Devices
Test Specific
Virtual Private Networks
PPTP VPNs
L2TP VPNs
SSL VPNs
DTLS VPNs
DMVPN
Alternative VPNs
Switch Management
Virtual LANs
Trunking
Configuring a VLAN-Capable Switch
Tagging
VLAN Trunking Protocol
InterVLAN Routing
DHCP and VLANs
Troubleshooting VLANs
Multilayer Switches
Load Balancing
QoS and Traffic Shaping
Port Bonding
Network Protection
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 12 IPv6
Test Specific
IPv6 Basics
IPv6 Address Notation
Link-Local Address
IPv6 Prefix Lengths
The End of Broadcast
Global Unicast Address
Aggregation
Using IPv6
It Just Works
DHCPv6
DNS in IPv6
Moving to IPv6
IPv4 and IPv6
Transition Mechanisms
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 13 Remote Connectivity
Historical/Conceptual
Telephony and Beyond
The Dawn of Long Distance
Test Specific
Digital Telephony
Copper Carriers: T1 and T3
Fiber Carriers: SONET/SDH and OC
Packet Switching
Real-World WAN
Alternative to Telephony WAN
The Last Mile
Dial-Up
DSL
Broadband Cable
Satellite
Fiber
Which Connection?
Using Remote Access
Dial-Up to the Internet
Private Dial-Up
Dedicated Connection
Remote Terminal
WAN Troubleshooting Scenarios
Loss of Internet Connectivity
Interface Errors
DNS Issues
Interference
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 14 Wireless Networking
Historical/Conceptual
Test Specific
Wi-Fi Standards
802.11
802.11b
802.11a
802.11g
802.11n
802.11ac
WPS
Wi-Fi Security
Enterprise Wireless
Implementing Wi-Fi
Performing a Site Survey
Installing the Client
Setting Up an Ad Hoc Network
Setting Up an Infrastructure Network
Extending the Network
Verifying the Installation
Troubleshooting Wi-Fi
No Connection
Slow Connection
Weird Connection
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 15 Virtualization and Cloud Computing
Historical/Conceptual
Concepts of Virtualization
Meet the Hypervisor
Emulation vs. Virtualization
Desktop Virtualization
Test Specific
Virtualization Benefits
Power Saving
Hardware Consolidation
System Recovery
System Duplication
Research
Virtualization in Modern Networks
Hypervisors
Scaling Virtualization
To the Cloud
The Service-Layer Cake
Cloud Delivery Models
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 16 Mobile Networking
Mobile Network Technologies
Test Specific
Cellular WAN
802.11
Bluetooth
Less Common Mobile Network Technologies
Deployment Models
BYOD
COBO
COPE
CYOD
On-Boarding and Off-Boarding
Scenarios
Geofencing
Locating and Disabling Lost Mobile Devices
Hardening IoT Devices
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 17 Building a Real-World Network
Test Specific
Designing a Basic Network
Define the Network Needs
Documentation
Network Design
Compatibility Issues
Internal Connections
External Connections
Unified Communication
It Started with VoIP
Unified Communication Features
VTC and Medianets
ICS
DCS
PLC
SCADA
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 18 Managing Risk
Test Specific
Risk Management
Security Policies
Change Management
Patching and Updates
Training
Points of Failure
Standard Business Documents
Security Preparedness
Contingency Planning
Incident Response
Disaster Recovery
Business Continuity
Forensics
Safety
Electrical Safety
Physical/Installation Safety
Rack Installation and Maintenance
Emergency Procedures
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 19 Protecting Your Network
Test Specific
Network Threats
Spoofing
Packet/Protocol Abuse
Zero-Day Attacks
ARP Cache Poisoning
Denial of Service
Man-in-the-Middle
Session Hijacking
Brute Force
Physical/Local Access
Malware
Social Engineering
Common Vulnerabilities
Unnecessary Running Services
Unpatched/Legacy Systems
Unencrypted Channels
Cleartext Credentials
RF Emanation
Hardening Your Network
Physical Security
Network Security
Device Hardening
Host Security
Firewalls
Types of Firewalls
Implementing and Configuring Firewalls
Troubleshooting Firewalls
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 20 Network Monitoring
Test Specific
SNMP
Monitoring Tools
Packet Sniffers
Protocol Analyzers
Interface Monitors
Performance Monitors
Putting It All Together
Scenario: Monitoring and Managing
SIEM
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 21 Network Troubleshooting
Test Specific
Troubleshooting Tools
Hardware Tools
Software Tools
The Troubleshooting Process
Identify the Problem
Establish a Theory of Probable Cause
Test the Theory to Determine Cause
Establish a Plan of Action and Identify Potential Effects
Implement the Solution or Escalate as Necessary
Verify Full System Functionality and Implement
Preventative Measures
Document Findings, Actions, and Outcomes
Resolving Common Network Service Issues
“We Can’t Access Our Web Server in Istanbul!”
Hands-On Problems
LAN Problems
WAN Problems
Beyond Local—Escalate
End-to-End Connectivity
Troubleshooting Is Fun!
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Appendix A Objective Map: CompTIA Network+
Appendix B Create Your Study Plan
Review Your Overall Score
Review Your Score by CompTIA Network+ Exam Domain
Appendix C About the Online Content
System Requirements
Your Total Seminars Training Hub Account
Single User License Terms and Conditions
TotalTester Online
Assessment Test
TotalSims for Network+
Mike’s Video Training
Playing the Mike Meyers Introduction Video
Mike’s Cool Tools
Technical Support
Glossary
Index
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to acknowledge the many people who contributed their talents to
make this book possible:
To Tim Green, my sponsoring editor at McGraw-Hill: I love what you
bring to the table with every book—the encouragement, the joy, the witty
banter, and the grammar hammer. Always a pleasure to work with you!
To my in-house Editor-in-Chief, Scott Jernigan: I couldn’t have done it
without you, amigo. Truthfully, has there ever been a better combo than a
wizard and a paladin?
To Jonathan S. Weissman, technical editor: Wait, how many more
certifications did you get since the last edition? No wonder you keep me
honest (and accurate)! Still, tossing in smiley faces after telling me, in perfect
New Yorker, “you’re totally wrong here!” doesn’t actually stop the sting
much. Ha!
To Bill McManus, copy editor: So wonderful to work with you again.
You are the best!
To Michael Smyer, Total Seminars’ resident tech guru and
photographer: Your contributions continue to shine, from superb
photographs to excellent illustrations and, in this edition, some nicely styled
writing. Well done!
To Dave Rush, crack technologist and ridiculously talented person:
How can I list the many contributions you’ve made to make this book—and
all the crazy products that go with it—so awesome? Researching, writing,
arguing, filming, arguing, researching some more … and the final product.
All fun!
To Travis Everett, Internet guru and writer: You bring the “A” game
every time and your contributions to this book in writing and as a
technologist were both lasting and timely. Thank you!
To Dudley Lehmer, my partner at Total Seminars: As always, thanks
for keeping the ship afloat while I got to play on this book!
To Claire Yee, acquisitions coordinator at McGraw-Hill: Another
stellar effort from you keeping us on task, on yet another book that is better
by far because of your participation. Thank you!
To LeeAnn Pickrell, project editor: So fun working with you again. Not
a rollercoaster this time, but just smooth sailing!
To Claire Splan, proofreader: You did a super job, thank you!
To Cenveo Publishing Services, compositors: The layout was excellent,
thanks!
INTRODUCTION
What Is CompTIA?
CompTIA is a nonprofit, industry trade association based in Oakbrook
Terrace, Illinois, on the outskirts of Chicago. Tens of thousands of computer
resellers, value-added resellers, distributors, manufacturers, and training
companies from all over the world are members of CompTIA.
CompTIA was founded in 1982. The following year, CompTIA began
offering the CompTIA A+ certification exam. CompTIA A+ certification is
now widely recognized as the de facto requirement for entrance into the PC
industry. Because the CompTIA A+ exam initially covered networking only
lightly, CompTIA decided to establish a vendor-neutral test covering basic
networking skills. So, in April 1999, CompTIA unveiled the CompTIA
Network+ certification exam.
CompTIA provides certifications for a variety of areas in the computer
industry, offers opportunities for its members to interact, and represents its
members’ interests to government bodies. CompTIA certifications include
CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA Security+, to name a
few. Check out the CompTIA Web site at www.comptia.org for details on
other certifications.
CompTIA is huge. Virtually every company of consequence in the IT
industry is a member of CompTIA: Microsoft, Dell, Cisco … Name an IT
company and it’s probably a member of CompTIA.
Now for the details: CompTIA recommends that you have at least nine to
twelve months of networking experience and CompTIA A+ knowledge, but
this is not a requirement. Note the word “recommends.” You may not need
experience or CompTIA A+ knowledge, but each helps! The CompTIA A+
certification competencies have a degree of overlap with the CompTIA
Network+ competencies, such as types of connectors and how networks
work.
As for experience, keep in mind that CompTIA Network+ is mostly a
practical exam. Those who have been out there supporting real networks will
find many of the questions reminiscent of the types of problems they have
seen on LANs. The bottom line is that you’ll probably have a much easier
time on the CompTIA Network+ exam if you have some CompTIA A+
experience under your belt.
What Is the Exam Like?
The CompTIA Network+ exam contains 100 questions, and you have 90
minutes to complete the exam. To pass, you must score at least 720 on a scale
of 100–900.
CompTIA uses two types of questions: multiple-choice and performance-
based. Multiple-choice questions offer four or five answer options; you select
the correct answer and proceed to the next question. The majority of the
questions follow this format.
Performance-based questions require you to do something. You might
need to arrange a wireless access point in an office for maximum coverage,
for example, or properly align the colored wires on a network connector. You
need to have appropriate command-line skills to respond at a command
prompt. These are all things that good network techs should be able to do
without blinking. I’ll cover all the topics in the book, and you’ll get practical
experience as well in the various extra design elements and labs.
The exam questions are divided into five areas that CompTIA calls
domains. This table lists the CompTIA Network+ domains and the
percentage of the exam that each represents.
NOTE Although you can’t take the exam over the Internet,
Pearson VUE provides easy online registration. Go to
https://home.pearsonvue.com/ to register online.
Obligate Yourself
The first step you should take is to schedule the exam. Ever heard the old
adage that heat and pressure make diamonds? Well, if you don’t give yourself
a little “heat,” you might procrastinate and unnecessarily delay taking the
exam. Even worse, you may end up not taking the exam at all. Do yourself a
favor. Determine how much time you need to study (see the next section),
and then call Pearson VUE and schedule the exam, giving yourself the time
you need to study—and adding a few extra days for safety. Afterward, sit
back and let your anxieties wash over you. Suddenly, turning off the
television and cracking open the book will become a lot easier!
The beginning of each of these areas is clearly marked with a large banner
that looks like the following.
Historical/Conceptual
If you consider yourself a Fast Tracker, skip everything but the Test Specific
section in each chapter. After reading the Test Specific sections, jump
immediately to the Chapter Review questions, which concentrate on
information in the Test Specific sections. If you run into problems, review the
Historical/Conceptual sections in that chapter. After going through every
chapter as described, take the free online practice exams on the media that
accompanies the book. First, take them in practice mode, and then switch to
final mode. Once you start scoring in the 80–85 percent range, go take the
test!
Brainiacs should first read the book—the whole book. Read it as though
you’re reading a novel, starting on page 1 and going all the way through.
Don’t skip around on the first read-through, even if you are a highly
experienced tech. Because there are terms and concepts that build on each
other, skipping around might confuse you, and you’ll just end up closing the
book and firing up your favorite PC game. Your goal on this first read is to
understand concepts—to understand the whys, not just the hows.
Having a network available while you read through the book helps a lot.
This gives you a chance to see various concepts, hardware, and configuration
screens in action as you read about them in the book. Plus, you’ll need some
gear to do all the hands-on exercises sprinkled throughout the book. Nothing
beats doing it yourself to reinforce a concept or piece of knowledge!
You will notice a lot of historical information—the Historical/Conceptual
sections—that you may be tempted to skip. Don’t! Understanding how some
of the older stuff worked or how something works conceptually will help you
appreciate the reason behind current networking features and equipment, as
well as how they function.
After you have completed the first read-through, cozy up for a second.
This time, try to knock out one chapter per sitting. Concentrate on the Test
Specific sections. Get a highlighter and mark the phrases and sentences that
make major points. Look at the pictures and tables, noting how they illustrate
the concepts. Then, answer the end of chapter questions. Repeat this process
until you not only get all the questions right, but also understand why they are
correct!
Once you have read and studied the material in the book, check your
knowledge by taking the online practice exams included on the media
accompanying the book. The exams can be taken in practice mode or final
mode. In practice mode, you are allowed to check references in the book (if
you want) before you answer each question, and each question is graded
immediately. In final mode, you must answer all the questions before you are
given a test score. In each case, you can review a results summary that tells
you which questions you missed, what the right answer is to each, and where
to study further.
Use the results of the exams to see where you need to bone up, and then
study some more and try them again. Continue retaking the exams and
reviewing the topics you missed until you are consistently scoring in the 80–
85 percent range. When you’ve reached that point, you are ready to pass the
CompTIA Network+ exam!
If you have any problems or questions, or if you just want to argue about
something, feel free to send an e-mail to me at michaelm@totalsem.com or to
my editor, Scott Jernigan, at scottj@totalsem.com.
For additional information about the CompTIA Network+ exam, contact
CompTIA directly at its Web site: www.comptia.org.
Good luck!
—Mike Meyers
CHAPTER 1
Network Models
The CompTIA Network+ certification exam expects you to know how to
• 1.2 Explain devices, applications, protocols and services at their
appropriate OSI layers
• 1.3 Explain the concepts and characteristics of routing and switching
To achieve these goals, you must be able to
• Describe how models such as the OSI seven-layer model and the
TCP/IP model help technicians understand and troubleshoot networks
• Explain the major functions of networks with the OSI seven-layer
model
• Describe the major functions of networks with the TCP/IP model
These models provide two tools that make them essential for networking
techs. First, the OSI and TCP/IP models provide powerful mental tools for
diagnosing problems. Understanding the models enables a tech to determine
quickly at what layer a problem can occur and helps him or her zero in on a
solution without wasting a lot of time on false leads. Second, these models
provide a common language techs use to describe specific network functions.
Figure 1-1 shows product information for a Cisco-branded advanced
networking device. Note the use of the terms “L3” and “layer 7.” These terms
directly reference the OSI seven-layer model. Techs who understand the OSI
model understand what those numbers mean, giving them a quick
understanding of what the device provides to a network.
This chapter looks first at models in general and how models help
conceptualize and troubleshoot networks. The chapter then explores both the
OSI seven-layer model and the TCP/IP model to see how they help clarify
network architecture for techs.
Biography of a Model
What does the word “model” mean to you? Does the word make you think of
a beautiful woman walking down a catwalk at a fashion show or some hunky
guy showing off the latest style of blue jeans on a huge billboard? Maybe it
makes you think of a plastic model airplane? What about those computer
models that try to predict weather? We use the term “model” in a number of
ways, but each use shares certain common themes.
All models are a simplified representation of the real thing. The human
model ignores the many different types of body shapes, using only a single
“optimal” figure. The model airplane lacks functional engines or the internal
framework, and the computerized weather model might disregard subtle
differences in wind temperatures or geology (Figure 1-2).
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
even locally. An observer on the spot says: “In the disposition of their
destroyers, the authorities did not seem disposed to give them a free
hand, or to allow them to take any chances.” And again, “The torpedo
boats were never sent out with the aim of attacking Japanese ships,
or transports. If out, and attacked, they fought, but they did not go
out for the purpose of attacking, although they would to cover an
army flank.” These two actions define the rôle indicated by the
expression, “Fortress Fleet.” The Japanese expressed surprise that no
attempt by scouting was made to ascertain their naval base, which
was also the landing place of their army; and, although the sinking of
the two battleships on May 15 was seen from Port Arthur, no effort
was made to improve such a moment of success, and of
demoralization to the enemy, although there were twenty-one
destroyers at Port Arthur; sixteen of which were under steam and
outside. So, at the very last moment, the fleet held on to its defensive
rôle; going out only when already damaged by enemy’s shells, and
then not to fight but to fly.
It is a curious commentary upon this course of action, that, as far
as any accounts that have come under my eye show, the fleet
contributed nothing to the defense of the fortress beyond landing
guns, and, as the final death struggle approached, using their
batteries in support of those of the fortress; but the most extreme
theorist would scarcely advocate such an end as the object of
maintaining a fleet. The same guns would be better emplaced on
shore. As far as defense went, the Russian Port Arthur fleet might as
well have been at Cronstadt throughout. Indeed, better; for then it
would have accompanied Rozhestvensky in concentrated numbers,
and the whole Russian navy there assembled, in force far superior,
would have been a threat to the Japanese command of the sea much
more effective, as a defense to Port Arthur, than was the presence of
part of that fleet in the port itself.
The Russian fleet in the Far East, assembled as to the main body in
Port Arthur, by its mere presence under the conditions announced
that it was there to serve the fortress, to which it was subsidiary.
Concentrated at Vladivostok, to one side of the theater of war, and
flanking the enemy’s line of communications to that which must be
the chief scene of operations, it would have been a clear evident
declaration that the fortress was subsidiary to the ships; that its chief
value in the national military scheme was to shelter, and to afford
repairs, in short, to maintain in efficiency, a body which meant to go
out to fight, and with a definite object. The hapless Rozhestvensky
gave voice to this fact in an expression which I have found attributed
to him before the fatal battle at Tsushima: that; if twenty only of the
numbers under his command reached Vladivostok, the Japanese
communications would be seriously endangered. This is clear “Fleet
in Being” theory, and quite undiluted; for it expresses the extreme
view that the presence of a strong force, even though inferior, near
the scene of operations, will produce a momentous effect upon the
enemy’s action. The extreme school has gone so far as to argue that it
will stop an expedition; or should do so, if the enemy be wise. I have
for years contended against this view as unsound; as shown to be so
historically. Such a “fleet in being,” inferior, should not be accepted
by an enemy as a sufficient deterrent under ordinary circumstances.
It has not been in the past, and the Japanese did not so accept it. The
Russian “fleet in being,” in Port Arthur, did not stop their
transportation; although they recognized danger from it, and
consistently took every step in their power to neutralize it. Their
operations throughout were directed consistently to this end. The
first partially successful torpedo attack; the attempts to block the
harbor by sinking vessels; the distant bombardments; the mines laid
outside; and the early institution and persistence in the siege
operations,—all had but one end, the destruction of the fleet, in
being, within; but, for all that, that fleet did not arrest the transport
of the Japanese army.
These two simultaneous operations, the transport of troops despite
the fleet in being, and the persevering effort at the same time to
destroy it—or neutralize it—illustrate what I have called adjustment
between opposite considerations. The danger from the fleet in being
is recognized, but so also is the danger in delaying the initiation of
the land campaign. The Fleet in Being School would condemn the
transportation, so long as the Port Arthur fleet existed. It actually did
so condemn it. The London Times, which is, or then was, under the
influence of this school, published six weeks before the war began a
summary of the situation, by naval and military correspondents, in
which appears this statement: “With a hostile fleet behind the guns
at Port Arthur, the Japanese could hardly venture to send troops into
the Yellow Sea.” And again, four weeks later: “It is obvious that, until
the Russian ships are sunk, captured, or shut up in their ports with
their wings effectually clipped, there can be no security for the sea
communications of an expeditionary force.” These are just as clear
illustrations of the exaggeration inherent in the Fleet in Being theory,
which assumes the deterrent influence of an offensive threatened by
inferior force, as the conduct of the Russian naval operations was of
the inefficiency latent in their theory of Fortress Fleet.
If security meant the security of peace, these Fleet in Being
statements could be accepted; but military security is an entirely
different thing; and we know that, coincidently with the first torpedo
attack, before its result could be known, an expeditionary Japanese
force was sent into the Yellow Sea to Chemulpo, and that it rapidly
received reinforcements to the estimated number of fifty or sixty
thousand. The enterprise in Manchuria, the landing of troops west of
the mouth of the Yalu, was delayed for some time—two months,
more or less. What the reason of that delay, and what determined the
moment of beginning, I do not know; but we do know, not only that
it was made in face of four Russian battleships within Port Arthur,
but that it continued in face of the increase of their number to six by
the repair of those damaged in the first torpedo attack. As early as
May 31, it was known in Tokyo that the damaged ships were nearly
ready for the sortie, which they actually made on June 23.
It is doubtless open to say that, though the Japanese did thus
venture, they ought not to have done so. Note therefore that the
Japanese were perfectly alive to the risks run. From the first they
were exceedingly careful of their battleships, knowing that on them
depended the communications of their army. The fact was noted
early in the war by observers on the spot. This shows that they
recognized the full menace of all the conditions of the Russian fleet
in Port Arthur, also of the one in the Baltic, and of the danger to their
communications. Nevertheless, though realizing these various
dangers from the hostile “fleets in being,” they ventured.
About the middle of March, that is, six weeks after the war began,
a report, partly believed by the Japanese authorities, came in that the
Port Arthur ships had escaped in a snow storm, on March 11. It is
reported that all transportation of troops stopped for some ten days.
It may be remembered that in our war with Spain, a very similar
report, from two different and competent witnesses, arrested the
movement of Shafter’s army from Key West until it could be verified.
In the case of the Japanese, as in our own, the incident illustrates the
possible dangers from a “fleet in being.” In neither report was there
an evident impossibility. Had either proved true the momentary
danger to communications is evident; but the danger is one the
chance of which has to be taken. As Napoleon said, “War cannot be
made without running risks.” The condition that an enemy’s fleet
watched in port may get out, and may do damage, is entirely
different from the fact that it has gotten out. The possibility is not a
sufficient reason for stopping transportation; the actual fact is
sufficient for taking particular precautions, adjusting dispositions to
the new conditions, as was done by ourselves and by the Japanese in
the circumstances. The case is wholly different if the enemy has a
fleet equal or superior; for then he is entirely master of his
movement, does not depend upon evasion for keeping the sea, and
communications in such case are in danger, not merely of temporary
disarrangement but of permanent destruction. No special warning is
needed to know this; the note of the “Fleet in Being” School is
insistence on the paralyzing effect of an inferior fleet.
Divided Forces[103]
[As the date indicates, the essay was written at the time of the
Revolution in Hawaii, six years before its annexation. The part of the
essay preceding points out the predominant interest of the United
States in the Islands owing to their control of our trade routes and
naval approaches, and refers to the benefit to the world from British
colonial expansion.—Editor.]
But if a plea of the world’s welfare seem suspiciously like a cloak
for national self-interest, let the latter be accepted frankly as the
adequate motive which it assuredly is. Let us not shrink from pitting
a broad self-interest against the narrow self-interest to which some
would restrict us. The demands of our three great seaboards, the
Atlantic, the Gulf, and the Pacific,—each for itself, and all for the
strength that comes from drawing closer the ties between them,—are
calling for the extension, through the Isthmian Canal, of that broad
sea common along which, and along which alone, in all the ages
prosperity has moved. Land carriage, always restricted and therefore
always slow, toils enviously but hopelessly behind, vainly seeking to
replace and supplant the royal highway of nature’s own making.
Corporate interests, vigorous in that power of concentration which is
the strength of armies and of minorities, may here withstand for a
while the ill-organized strivings of the multitude, only dimly
conscious of its wants; yet the latter, however temporarily opposed
and baffled, is sure at last, like the blind forces of nature, to
overwhelm all that stand in the way of its necessary progress. So the
Isthmian Canal is an inevitable part in the future of the United
States; yet one that cannot be separated from other necessary
incidents of a policy dependent upon it, whose details cannot be
foreseen exactly. But because the precise steps that hereafter may be
opportune or necessary cannot yet be foretold certainly, is not a
reason the less, but a reason the more, for establishing a principle of
action which may serve to guide as opportunities arise. Let us start
from the fundamental truth, warranted by history, that the control of
the seas, and especially along the great lines drawn by national
interest or national commerce, is the chief among the merely
material elements in the power and prosperity of nations. It is so
because the sea is the world’s great medium of circulation. From this
necessarily follows the principle that, as subsidiary to such control, it
is imperative to take possession, when it can be done righteously, of
such maritime positions as contribute to secure command. If this
principle be adopted, there will be no hesitation about taking the
positions—and they are many—upon the approaches to the Isthmus,
whose interests incline them to seek us. It has its application also to
the present case of Hawaii.
There is, however, one caution to be given from the military point
of view, beyond the need of which the world has not yet passed.
Military positions, fortified posts, by land or by sea, however strong
or admirably situated, do not confer control by themselves alone.
People often say that such an island or harbor will give control of
such a body of water. It is an utter, deplorable, ruinous mistake. The
phrase indeed may be used by some only loosely, without forgetting
other implied conditions of adequate protection and adequate
navies; but the confidence of our own nation in its native strength,
and its indifference to the defense of its ports and the sufficiency of
its fleet, give reason to fear that the full consequences of a forward
step may not be weighed soberly. Napoleon, who knew better, once
talked this way. “The islands of San Pietro, Corfu, and Malta,” he
wrote, “will make us masters of the whole Mediterranean.” Vain
boast! Within one year Corfu, in two years Malta, were rent away
from the state that could not support them by its ships. Nay, more:
had Bonaparte not taken the latter stronghold out of the hands of its
degenerate but innocuous government, that citadel of the
Mediterranean would perhaps—would probably—never have passed
into those of his chief enemy. There is here also a lesson for us.
32. Application of the Monroe Doctrine[107]