Certified Wireless Network Administrator - CWNA (CWNA)

Introduction to 802.11 WLANs

• Discuss the standards organizations responsible for shaping the 802.11 Wireless LAN protocol
• Learn how standards compliance is enforced for 802.11 WLAN vendors
• Examine the 802.11 standard and various amendments
• Discuss additional networking standards that are commonly used to enhance 802.11 WLANs

Radio Frequency Fundamentals

• Physical aspects of RF propagation
• Types of losses and attenuation that affect RF communications
• Types of modulation and coding schemes (MCS) used for 802.11 communications
• How channels and bandwidth are related to each other in wireless networks
• Types of Spread Spectrum used in wireless networking
• RF Power Output Regulations

Understand international, regional, and local RF spectrum management organizations

• Understand RF channels in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency ranges
• Understand how power output limitations are enforced by the FCC for Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) and Point-to-Point (PtP) wireless connections

Power over Ethernet

• Recognize the two types of devices used in Power over Ethernet (PoE)
• Recognize the differences between the two types of Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE)
• Understand the two ways in which power can be delivered using PoE
• Understand the importance of planning to maximize the efficiency of Power over Ethernet
• Understand the two standards currently available for PoE
• Powering 802.11n APs

Basic WLAN Analysis

• Protocol Analysis
• 802.11 Frame Types
• Data Frames
• Control Frames
• Management Frames
• Protection Mechanisms
• Legacy Power Saving operations
• Transmission Rates

Coordinating 802.11 Frame Transmissions

• 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
• Point Coordination Function (PCF)
• Hybrid Coordination Function (HCF)

RF Math and System Operating Margin

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

802.11 Service Sets

• Three types of service sets defined for use within 802.11 WLANs
• 802.11 authentication and association
• 802.11 network infrastructure
• Roaming within a WLAN
• Load-balancing as a method to improve congestion in WLANs
• The 802.11n Amendment

Challenges addressed by 802.11n

• 802.11n PHY/MAC layer enhancements
• MIMO and SISO systems
• 802.11n coexistence mechanisms
• 802.11n integration and deployment considerations
• 802.11n site surveying and analysis

Wireless LAN Operation

• WLAN Hardware Devices
• WLAN Software
• Architecture Types and Evolution
• Ad Hoc & Infrastructure Connectivity Operation
• AP Modes
• Bridging & Repeating
• Mesh Networking
• WLAN Controller Deployments
• WLAN Profiles
• Multichannel Architecture (MCA)
• Single Channel Architecture (SCA)
• WLAN Management Systems (WNMS)

WLAN Security

• The Importance of WLAN Security
• Security Policy
• Legacy WLAN Security Mechanisms
• Modern WLAN Security Mechanisms
• Baseline WLAN Security Practices

Site Surveying

• Defining an RF site survey
• Spectrum Analysis
• Types of RF site surveys
• Manual RF site surveys
• Predictive Modeling
• Dense AP deployments

Antennas

• Types of antennas and antenna systems commonly used in 802.11 WLANs
• Antenna Polarization and Gain
• Antenna implementation and safety
• Types of antenna cables, connectors, and other accessories

Hands-on Lab Exercises

Spectrum Capture and Analysis

• Installing spectrum analyzer software
• Performing and analyzing a capture
• Swept Spectrogram
• Real Time FFT
• FFT Duty Cycle
• Channel Utilization
• Interference with Wi-Fi Channels
• Interfering Device Discovery

Infrastructure Mode Throughput Analysis

• Section A: Greenfield mode throughput (802.11b vs. g vs. a vs. n)
• Section B: Mixed mode throughput
• Section C: Adjacent and co-channel interference
• Understanding speeds and feeds of Wi-Fi technologies

Using Laptop Analyzers

• Using laptop analyzers for WLAN discovery and protocol analysis.
• Understanding security and performance related protocol analysis
• Installing and configuring a WLAN discovery tool.
• Installing and configuring a laptop protocol analyzer
• Locating 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLANs
• Capturing and analyzing Management, Control, and Data frames
• Capturing and analyzing a WPA2-Personal authentication
• A protocol analyzer is provided on the student CD

Site Survey

• Classes of site survey methodology
• Section A: Manual site surveys (sometimes called the walkabout)
• Section B: Predictive analysis (sometimes called automated site surveying)
• Manual site surveying
• Active mode vs passive mode
• Predictive analysis software tools

Basic WLAN Security

• WPA compliant
• WPA2 compliant
• Personal vs Enterprise
• TKIP encryption
• 802.11i compliant CCMP
• 802.1X/EAP authentication

Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems

• security monitoring
• performance monitoring
• reporting
• Installation and configuration of WIPS
• Properly classifying authorized, rogue/unauthorized, and external/interfering access points or clients
• Event monitoring and notification
• Identifying and mitigating rogue devices