What to study to become versed in networking?

I would try and get a few certifications if I were you. Certifications are a good way of proving that you have some knowledge and experience in an area without getting a degree. The most valuable certifications for IT jobs are probably CompTIA Security+, A+, Network+, and Cisco's CCENT.

Of all of these, I would highly recommend Security+. This is a great certification to get to prove some general knowledge in the IT field, and it is a requirement on a lot of job offerings. A+ Is a good certification to get if you are planning on getting a helpdesk job, and is typically a certification that HR departments like to see on a resume.

Network+ will cover all of the topics you mentioned, and then some. If you want more in depth knowledge of a lot of networking topics, this is a good one to go for. And the Cisco certification also covers a lot of networking material, especially concerning networking protocols and devices (switches, routers, firewalls, etc). While this is a good one to get, I wouldn't say the Cisco cert is a particularly high priority one to go for.

There are various materials you can use to study for these certifications, and a simple google search can net you a lot of information about the best ways to get these certifications. There are plenty of people that have gotten these certifications before, and have helpful information for studying for them, and passing the exams.

I'll link you the study books below for these certs, but I'd say the best ways to get well-versed in these areas is to look at what other people have done for these certs. People have planned study guides, giving you a timeframe of how long you should study, what you should study, when to schedule the exam, etc etc. Another great way of learning this stuff is to actually get some hands-on experience with it. Maybe pick up some used networking gear off of ebay or something and setup an environment to learn in.

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Certified-Ahead-SY0-401/dp/1939136024/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497886500&sr=1-1&keywords=security%2B+book

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-901-220-902/dp/125958951X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497886527&sr=1-1&keywords=a%2B+certification+book

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Guide-Sixth-N10-006/dp/0071848223/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497886541&sr=1-1&keywords=network%2B+certification+book

https://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-101-Official-Guide/dp/1587143852/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497886553&sr=1-1&keywords=ccent+study+book

EDIT: This is all coming from a Systems Administrator for a DoD contractor, in case you were curious about my background in the field.

I would suggest getting A+ and Network+.

From there it all depends on the more specific direction of the company. You may need Security+ or Cisco certifiction (CCENT, or CCNA)

The best accredited entry level networking certification is still network +.

This is going to have more then you need including dabling into some cryptography.

While this may seem like a lot of unneeded information it lays a very good foundation and really allows you to understand the concepts of networking.
I have found that there are 2 types of technicians:
Type 1 can cram for a test and pass it, they dont understand the concepts they just play with settings until eventually it works (hopefully). They know what each setting is but they dont really understand how it all works together because they never took the time to actually understand the concept.
Type 2 understands concepts, thus they can mentally create a flowchart and know that if for example you have DNS running nslookup on a problem computer then you can narrow down the possible issues significantly.
So in a nutshell Type 1 tries potentially all 80 settings to fix a problem, Type 2 can do 3 tests and limits it down to 10-15 things.

If you take the time to understand everything and not just remember vocab words then yes.

For my network plus I read mike meyers topic book as well as watched the youtube videos by professor messor (http://www.professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-006/n10-006-course-index/)

There were a couple topics I did some other videos for better clarification (I remember Kerberos authentication server being one of them, as the book and even messers video did a horrible job explaining it).

That sounds like a pretty great plan to me. Once you complete phase 1, get a resume together, and apply to a bunch of positions. A+ should be enough to get you a helpdesk position somewhere.

Then, get security+ to give yourself some headroom for upwards movement within the company you'll be working for, or moving to a different position. After that, you can look into Network+ or CCENT or whatever other certs you may want/need in the future.

As for your question, it will depend entirely on what you want to do. A+ should be enough networking knowledge to qualify you for a helpdesk/IT support job, but if you ever decide to do something beyond that, A+ won't necessarily cut it.

Most Sys Admin jobs will require more in-depth networking knowledge than just A+, and any network engineer or systems engineer positions will definitely require more networking knowledge. But if you just want to get into the IT field with some sort of an IT support job, then A+ should give you enough network troubleshooting knowledge.

No problem, glad to help!

Good deal, the quicker you can refresh your A+ knowledge and knock that test out the better.

If you get Security + then you really dont need to look at network + as security + is just more in depth on the cybersecurity aspects with some network + thrown in.

I agree that for government or other jobs that security+ is much more desired over network +.

I would find some free or inexpensive network + books (or look at local library), and watch the videos; then after that study security +.
Security + is bassically more in depth knowledge of the security portion of network + (plus the more business minded things like risk assesment).
It would be very difficult to learn security + without already knowing things covered in network + like OSI model and network topologies.

A general comment on the value of certifications. They are good means to get a structured method to learn things. They themselves thought do not guarantee any form of job. They are more a check box to get you to the next interview stage. Most the "+" certifications are considered very easy to get so they don't hold as much value. Mostly it is everyone seems to have them so it become a base line rather than a something that makes you special.

Even the Cisco certs are starting to get valued less because so many people have them. The CCNA is a lot more difficult to pass than most other vendors network certifications. The more advanced cisco certs are even harder.

Even CCIE which used to almost guarantee a high paid network position seems to have lost it luster but for companies that actually require it they still pay good.

I am starting to suspect part of the decline in network positions is many companies are outsourcing this to the "cloud" providers much like the server function has been done. Most the jobs are now with these large providers like verizon or att.

Note I have had my CCIE in routing and in security for more than 15yrs.

When you go to an interview, and the guy asks...
"What is your network like at home?"

Your answer should be...
"Can I use your whiteboard?"

I've seen that question from both sides of the table.