The Enterprise Wireless LAN Administration 4.0 course, whether in an academic format or a 5-day fast-track format, provides the networking professional a complete foundation of knowledge for entering into or advancing in the wireless networking industry. From basic RF theory to 802.11 frame exchange processes, this course delivers hands-on training that will benefit the novice as well as the experienced network professional
This SU hands-on, defense in-depth class has 18+ labs to give you the chance to use wireless products from vendors like AirMagnet, Aruba, Meru, AirDefense, CISCO, AirTight Networks, Wi-Spi, Cognio Spectrum Analysers, PROXIM, YDI and much more than the standard CWNA™ class.
Our CWNP™ expert instructors are cross trained in security & Wireless and take you through everything you need to know to do a proper wireless site survey with 5 site survey tools, as well as how to design and implement a WLAN. By earning the Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA™) credential, network engineers and administrators demonstrate that they have the skills necessary to administer, install, configure, and troubleshoot wireless network systems.
EXAM VOUCHER AND PRACTICE TEST included in class fee!
When you pass the CWNA exam, you earn credit towards the CWSP, and CWNE certifications.
This exam measures the candidate’s ability to understand the fundamentals of RF behavior and to describe the
features and functions of WLAN components. Also tested are the skills needed to install, configure, and
troubleshoot WLAN hardware peripherals and protocols.
The skills and knowledge measured by this examination are derived from a survey of wireless networking experts
and professionals. The results of this survey were used in weighing the subject areas and ensuring that the weighting
is representative of the relative importance of the content.
The following chart provides the breakdown of the exam as to the weight of each section of the exam.
Subject Area % of Exam
Radio Frequency (RF) Technologies 21%
IEEE 802.11 Regulations and Standards 17%
IEEE 802.11 Protocols and Devices 17%
IEEE 802.11 Network Implementation 17%
IEEE 802.11 Network Security 10%
IEEE 802.11 RF Site Surveying 18%
Total 100%
Hands-on Lab Exercises
These are the actual labs taught in the course: Spectrum Analysis This lab is designed to familiarize the student with a laptop-based spectrum analyzer.
Area of interest include:
Swept Spectrogram
Real Time FFT
FFT Duty Cycle
Channel Utilization
Interference with Wi-Fi Channels
Interfering Device Discovery
In the first sections of this lab, students will install the spectrum analyzer software followed by loading the pre-recorded spectrum captures for review as a class. In the last section of this lab, the instructor may optionally do a live capture of the RF environment for classroom discussion purposes. Doing a live capture requires spectrum analysis hardware (typically a USB or CardBus radio adapter).
Wireless LAN Security This lab is built around measuring WLAN throughput under various circumstances and is separated into three sections:
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 the "speeds and feeds" of all Wi-Fi technologies is crucial to optimizing WLAN installations, applications, and good network design. This lab demonstrates the varying throughputs for Wi-Fi connectivity standards by using FTP to transfer large files from client devices to servers. You will see and compare actual throughputs of each different standard technology and the impact of using mixed technologies.
Using Laptop Analyzers This lab is focused on the use of laptop analyzers for WLAN discovery and protocol analysis. Understanding security and performance related protocol analysis will aid the WLAN administrator in policy compliance, proper implementation, and troubleshooting. The following steps will be covered in this lab exercise.
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 Two specific classes of site survey methodology exist and are used in the WLAN market today. This exercise is separated into two sections identifying each methodology:
Section A: Manual site surveys (sometimes called, “the walkabout”)
Section B: Predictive analysis (sometimes called, “automated site surveying”)
Within each class exist two distinct categories. Manual site surveying can be categorized as active mode or passive mode, one or both modes can be used at any given time.
Predictive analysis software tools are based on a mathematical model of a facility blueprint and can be performed in two distinct ways. First, importing an AutoCAD (vector graphic) drawing allows the predictive analysis software tool to understand detailed complex layers of a facility's construction, including wall attenuation, attenuation between floors, and channel interference. Second, importing of raster graphics, such as .jpg or .bmp, allows for faster but often less accurate modeling.
Neither methodology is 100% accurate, since each has its own individual weaknesses. Used together, the surveyor can create a more complete RF snapshot of any facility.
In this exercise, students will conduct both manual and predictive analysis surveying, using software and hardware tools (determined by the instructor or specific class needs).
Basic WLAN Security
The Wi-Fi Alliance has standardized security mechanisms for SOHO and enterprise environments. Two distinct classes of security mechanisms exist:
WPA compliant
WPA2 compliant
Within each class are two categories: Personal and Enterprise. WPA implies a pre-802.11i snapshot that addresses only TKIP encryption. WPA2 implies 802.11i compliant CCMP (default) and/or TKIP. Enterprise implies the use of 802.1X/EAP authentication mechanisms, and Personal implies that passphrases are the authentication mechanism being used.
Wi-Fi Alliance Security Mechanism
Authentication Mechanism
Cipher Suite
Encryption Mechanism
WPA-Personal
Passphrase
TKIP
RC4
WPA-Enterprise
802.1X/EAP
TKIP
RC4
WPA2-Personal
Passphrase
CCMP (default)
TKIP (optional)
AES (default)
RC4 (optional)
WPA2-Enterprise
802.1X/EAP
CCMP (default)
TKIP (optional)
AES (default)
RC4 (optional)
Wi-Fi Alliance security mechanisms are only applicable at Layer 2 of the OSI model. Other security mechanisms for WLANs exists such as VPNs and secure applications, but this lab exercise addresses only those security mechanisms provided by the 802.11-2007 standard.
Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems
This lab is focused on Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems (WIPS). WIPS are known for three specific functions: security monitoring, performance monitoring, and reporting. In this lab exercise, we will focus only on security monitoring and reporting. Areas of particular interest include:
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
Hands-on Lab Exercises
These are the actual labs taught in the course:
Infrastructure Mode Throughput Analysis
This lab is built around measuring WLAN throughput under various circumstances that are broken into three separate areas:
Pure mode throughput (802.11b vs. 802.11g vs. 802.11a vs. 802.11n)
Mixed mode throughput
Adjacent and co-channel interference
Understanding the "speeds and feeds" of all Wi-Fi technologies is crucial to optimizing WLAN installations, applications, and good network design. This lab demonstrates the varying throughputs for Wi-Fi connectivity standards by using FTP to transfer large files from client devices to servers. You will see and compare actual throughputs of each different technology, and the impact of using mixed technologies within the same radio spectrum.
These comparisons are done using four different network architectures:
Autonomous APs and client devices in pure mode
Autonomous APs and client devices in mixed mode
WLAN Controller with Lightweight APs and client devices in pure mode
WLAN Controller with Lightweight APs and client devices in mixed mode
Co-channel and adjacent channel interference affects throughput of Wi-Fi systems dramatically. Proper network design eliminates most channel interference. The affects of channel interference are demonstrated in this exercise.
Wireless LAN Security
The Wi-Fi Alliance has standardized security mechanisms for SOHO and SMB/enterprise environments. Two distinct classes of security mechanisms exist:
WPA compliant
WPA2 compliant
Wi-Fi Alliance security mechanisms are only applicable at Layer 2 of the OSI model. Each of these mechanisms will be configured and tested in this lab exercise.
Other security mechanisms for WLANs exists such as VPNs (PPTP, IPSec) and secure applications (FTP/SSH, HTTPS, POP3/SSL). This lab exercise will demonstrate VPN technology using Microsoft's PPTP/MS-CHAPv2/MPPE-128 (RC4).
Site Surveying
Two specific classes of site survey methodology exist and are used in the WLAN market today:
Manual site surveys (often called the "walkabout")
Predictive analysis (often hailed as "the site survey method of the future")
Within each class exist two distinct categories. Manual site surveying can be categorized as either active mode or passive mode, and one or both modes can be used at any given time.
Predictive analysis software tools are based on a mathematical model of a facility blueprint and can be performed in two distinct ways. First, importing and AutoCAD (vectorized graphic) drawing allows the predictive analysis software tool to understand detailed complex layers of a facility's construction, including wall attenuation, attenuation between floors, and channel interference. Second, importing of raster graphics, such as .jpg or .bmp, allows for faster but less accurate modeling.
Neither methodology is 100% accurate, since each has its own individual weaknesses. Used together, the surveyor can create a more complete RF snapshot of any facility.
In this exercise, students will conduct both manual and predictive analysis surveying, using software and hardware tools (determined by the instructor or specific class needs).
The following list contains the materials covered in the lecture portion of the course:
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
AirMagnet Trio/Reporter - Performance and Security Analysis
AirMagnet Distributed with Hardware Sensors
Get the picture of your Wi-Fi Network
Ekahau Site Survey is a software tool for IT managers, wireless engineers, and Wi-Fi professionals who are planning , deploying , and troubleshooting 802.11 a/b/g networks.
EKAHAU ADVANCES ITS SITE SURVEY OFFERING FOR WI-FI PLANNERS
Nov. 08, 2007 - Ekahau has announced a major upgrade to the Ekahau Site Survey tool which incorporates several powerful features for network managers. These features include optimization for light-weight access points - such as Cisco LWAP, Aruba Mobile Edge, the Nortel Networks WLAN Portfolio and Siemens HiPath - and automatic location determination of nearby access points. ESS 4.0 also addresses Wi-Fi signal leakage between floors with advanced three-dimensional (3-D) prediction algorithms. Go here for more information. Customers with a current software support package are eligible for a free upgrade.
Ekahau Site Survey Training and Certification
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