Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA)

Get a head start right out of the gate with a Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) certification. It is the base certification for Enterprise Wi-Fi within the CWNP family of certifications and a springboard toward earning your security, design, analysis, and network expert certifications. Achieving it enhances your networking career profile, providing evidence that you have sought after Wi-Fi knowledge and skills.

The goal of this course is to add Wi-Fi expertise to a networking professional’s skill set while covering all CWNA-107 exam topics. The course begins with discussion topics and hands-on lab exercises covering the basic operation of 802.11 Wi-Fi technology. Once a base of Wi-Fi knowledge is established, enterprise relevant topics such as Wi-Fi design, security, and troubleshooting are covered. You will use enterprise-class hardware and software tools during live lab exercises, all accessible remotely for any instructor-led or virtual class.

As an added bonus, you will receive a free exam voucher.

Target Audience:

• Administrators: network, systems, infrastructure, security, and LAN/WLANs
• Support professionals: technical assistance and field support
• Designers: network, systems, and infrastructure
• Developers: wireless software and hardware products
• Consultants and integrators: IT and security
• Decision-makers: infrastructure managers, IT managers, security directors, chief security officers, and chief technology officers
• CCNA's

Course Objectives:

What You’ll Learn attending the Enterprise Wi-Fi Administration course:

• Background and roles of Wi-Fi governing bodies, including the IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance
• Radiofrequency properties and behaviors
• Wireless signal fundamentals, including measurement principles
• Antenna information, including types and installation best practices
• Wi-Fi standards, including 802.11 extensions ac, ad, af, and ah
• Wi-Fi device types and infrastructure options
• Wi-Fi communications processes, including connection, roaming, and data transfer
• General troubleshooting tips to common real-world 802.11n issues
• Wi-Fi architecture best practices, including both network and wireless design
• Similarities, differences, and peculiarities about Wi-Fi deployments in differing environments (offices, K-12 education, health care facilities, and more)
• Security standards, best practices, known vulnerabilities, and remediation techniques for Wi-Fi networks
• Site surveying, including requirements gathering, design, installation, and validation
• Troubleshooting methodology, tools, and techniques, along with common issues

Course Outline:

WLAN and Networking Industry Organizations

• Wi-Fi Related Organizations
• The IEEE
• PHY Amendments
• 802.11 Amendments
• Wi-Fi Alliance
• PoE (802.3)

RF Characteristics and Behavior

• Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Wavelength, amplitude, and other RF characteristics
• Reflection, refraction, and other RF behavior
• RF Propagation
• Basic Types of Modulation

RF Mathematics and Measurements

• RF units of measure
• Basic RF mathematics
• RF signal measurements
• Understand link budgets

RF Antennas and Hardware

• RF Units of Measure
• Types of Antennas and Antenna Systems Commonly Used With 802.11 WLANs
• Antenna Polarization and Gain
• Antenna Implementation
• Types of Antenna Cables, Connectors, and Other Accessories

802.11 PHYs and Network Types

• 802.11 PHYs and Network Types
• 802.11 Frequency Bands
• 802.11 Channels Explained
• OSI Model Layers and Wi-Fi
• 802.11 Physical Layers (PHYs)
• Throughput vs. Data Rate
• RF Modulation Methods
• 802.11 Use Case Scenarios
• WLAN Operating Modes including BSS. ESS and Roaming

802.11 Network Devices

• Access Point Features and Capabilities
• AP and WLAN Management Systems
• Wireless Monitoring Systems (Analytics)
• WLAN Controller Functionality
• Network Architecture Planes
• WLAN Bridging
• Client Devices
• Client Device OS Configuration
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) Functionality

802.11 MAC Operations

• 802.11 Frames
• Frame Aggregation
• Guard Interval
• General Frame Format
• PHY Preamble
• Management, Control, and Data Frames
• Locating WLANs

802.11 Channel Access Methods

• Differences between CSMA/CD and CSMA/CA
• Distributed Coordination Function (DCF)
• Network Allocation Vector (NAV)
• Clear Channel Assessment (CCA)
• Interframe Spacing (IFS)
• Contention Window (CW)
• Quality of Service in 802.11 WLANs
• Hybrid Coordination Function (HCF)
• Additional Control Frames and Protection Modes

WLAN Network Architectures

• Control, Management, and Data Planes
• WLAN Controller Solutions
• Network Architectures
• RF Channel Planning
• Service Set Configurations
• Cell Sizing and Interference

WLAN Requirements and Solutions

• Explore WLAN Deployment Scenarios
• BYOD and Guest Access
• Mobile Device Management
• Radio Resource Management (RRM) and other automatic RF management solutions
• Additional Management Features

Security Solutions for WLANs

• Additional Authentication Features
• Deprecated Standard Security
• Weak Security Mechanisms
• Pre-shared Key and IEEE 802.1X/EAP
• Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems (WIPS)
• Protocol and Spectrum Analysis for Security
• Using Secure Protocols

Site Surveys, Network Design, and Validation

• Survey Processes
• Understanding Requirements
• Verify Design Requirements
• Documentation
• Locating Interference
• Spectrum Analysis
• Application and Throughput Testing
• Protocol Analysis

WLAN Troubleshooting

• CWNP Troubleshooting Methodology
• Protocol Analysis Troubleshooting Features
• Spectrum Analysis Troubleshooting Features
• RF Interference
• Hidden Nodes
• Connectivity Problems

Classroom Live Labs

Remote Lab Familiarization

• Overview
• Task 1: Navigate the GigaWave Remote Lab
• Task 2: Navigate the Interactive Diagram Page
• Task 3: Closing the Lab

Lab 1: Visualizing RF Principles

• Activity Objective
• Visual Objective
• Required Resources
• Task 1: Prepare the Client Laptop in the Remote Lab
• Task 2: Use Ekahau to visualize Free Space Path Loss
• Task 3: Use Ekahau to Visualize Attenuation
• Task 4: Closing the Lab

Lab 2: RF Mathematics

• Activity Objective
• Required Resources
• Task 1: Complete These Power Conversions
• Task 2: Calculate EIRP
• Task 3: Calculate a Link Budget

Lab 3: Visualizing Antenna Patterns

• Activity Objective
• Required Resources
• Task 1: Open the FSPL File in Ekahau
• Task 2: Use Various 2.4 Antenna and Observe the Change in RF Coverage
• Closing the Lab

Lab 4: 802.11 Basics

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Analyze Wireless Frames
• Task 2: Closing the Lab

Lab 5: Initialize an Autonomous WLAN Deployment

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Configure an Autonomous AP via CLI
• Task 2: Configure Your Standalone AP from the GUI
• Task 3: Closing the Lab

Lab 6: Configure Security on Autonomous AP WLAN Deployment

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Configure the Autonomous AP for PSK
• Task 2: Configure Windows 7 Client to Connect to the Pod-X-Auto Using PSK
• Task 3: Add a Local Radius Client to the Autonomous AP
• Task 4: Configure Local RADIUS Server on the Autonomous AP
• Task 5: Configure an SSID for Local EAP on the Autonomous AP
• Task 6: Configure the Windows Supplicant
• Task 7: Closing the Lab

Lab 7: Configuring the WLC Central Switch WLAN Deployment

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Prepare the Client Laptop in the Remote Lab
• Task 2: Review and Modify Management Access
• Task 3: Review AP Status
• Task 4: Configure a WLAN
• Task 5: Associate the Client
• Task 6: Disassociate the Client
• Task 7: Closing the Lab

Lab 8: Configuring Security in a Centralized WLAN Deployment

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Configure the Data WLAN for PSK
• Task 2: Configure the Wireless Client to Connect to the PSK WLAN
• Task 3: Modify the WLAN to Support WPA2 with 802.1X Authentication
• Task 4: Configure the Client and Access the Network
• Task 5: Modify the WLAN to Support WebAuth
• Task 6: Create a Local Net User
• Task 7: Connect the Client to the WebAuth WLAN
• Task 8: Closing the Lab

Lab 9: Implement a WLC Local Switch WLAN Deployment

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Configure the Controller
• Task 2: Connect to the WLAN
• Task 3: Closing the Lab

Lab 10: Configure Security on a Cloud WLAN Deployment

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Implement PSK Authentication on a Cloud WLAN Deployment
• Task 2: Implement Local EAP-PEAP on a Cloud WLAN Deployment
• Task 3: Implement WebAuth on a Cloud WLAN Deployment
• Task 4: Disable SSIDs on the Cloud WLAN Deployment

Lab 11: Perform Wi-Fi Scanning

• Activity Objective
• Topology
• Task 1: Enable Metageek insider
• Task 2: Review 2.4 GHz Activity
• Task 3: Review 5 GHz Activity
• Task 4: Close the Lab

Lab 12: Perform a Predictive WLAN Design

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Familiarization with Ekahau Site Survey Pro + Planner
• Task 2: Perform a Basic Predictive WLAN Design using a Single Floor Layout
• Task 3: Closing the Lab

Lab 13: Perform Passive Site Survey

• Activity Objective
• Task 1: Configure AP for Spectrum Expert AP Mode of Operation
• Task 2: Configure Cisco Spectrum Expert – Spectrum Analyzer Software
• Task 3: Closing the Lab