New to CWNP track

phreak

Looks like I'll be spending time here now and not in the CCNA forum.

I just found out I have to get my CWNA for my job. I have a fair amount of wireless and microwave experience due to my job, so I'll help where I can, and ask questions where I don't know.

dynamik

phreak wrote:

I have a fair amount of wireless and microwave experience due to my job...

Yea, that's how I make most of my lunches too. Unfortunately, that experience really wasn't as helpful for the CWNA as I had hoped

Welcome to the CWNP forums! There's a few of us regulars who have CWNAs, so don't hesitate to ask any questions

phreak

Excellent.


My primary experience in wireless has been almost totally isolated to wide-area wireless networks. This CWNP track seems like it is geared towards 802.11-based systems, and in-building WLAN's. Personally, I hate 802.11 and in-building systems. It's far easier for me to work with outdoor, wide-area systems (both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint). 802.11a/b/g systems not designed for use in the wide-area market are junk usually, but typically this is related to the protocol. Once a custom-built MAC is properly designed, your typical 802.11a/b/g radio can run just fine in the harsh world of wide-area WLAN....

dynamik

Yea, the exam really focuses on 802.11. In fact, you should start memorizing this entire page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11

However, you should have a good head-start with all the antenna types, types of interference (refraction, reflection, etc.), and other long-distance concepts. A lot of that was foreign to me.

JDMurray

Hey, 802.11 works outdoors too!

If you wait long enough they may put 802.16 on the exam for ya!

phreak

dynamik wrote:

Yea, the exam really focuses on 802.11. In fact, you should start memorizing this entire page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11

However, you should have a good head-start with all the antenna types, types of interference (refraction, reflection, etc.), and other long-distance concepts. A lot of that was foreign to me.

Thanks for the link, I'll start reading that.

phreak

JDMurray wrote:

Hey, 802.11 works outdoors too!

If you wait long enough they may put 802.16 on the exam for ya!

Yeah it can work outside, but it really doesn't do as well as other systems, especially when we are talking long-distance links. My average path is around 18 miles, with my furthest being 30.

Most of my PTMP links are 10-15 miles....

802.11 systems can be tuned to operate in the outdoor world by adjusting the ACK timing and power levels, but you knew that


And don't get me started on .16 products, lol.

JDMurray

phreak wrote:

802.11 systems can be tuned to operate in the outdoor world by adjusting the ACK timing and power levels, but you knew that

I prefer gigantic, super-sensitive receiving antennas myself. 802.11 from Mars is next!!

phreak

JDMurray wrote:

phreak wrote:

802.11 systems can be tuned to operate in the outdoor world by adjusting the ACK timing and power levels, but you knew that

I prefer gigantic, super-sensitive receiving antennas myself. 802.11 from Mars is next!!

That too...

I am working on a quote for a 60-mile 5GHz link. The radios are standard 802.11a cards with special processor boards running custom firmware. 6-foot standard parabolic antenna on one end, and 8-foot high-performance shrouded antenna on the other.

phreak

Well I attended a course over in Columbia, MD for the CWNA course. My instructor was Robert Bartz. That guy knows his stuff. If anyone has a chance to take one of his CWNA or CWTS courses I'd suggest it.


I'm prepping for the exam now.