Wireshark Certified Network Analyst (WCNA)

L0gicB0mb508

powerfool wrote: »

Is it available on the Kindle now? Last I checked it wasn't.

I couldn't find it when I did the search on the Amazon site, but when I went to the Kindle store from the device I found it by searching for Wireshark. Its also much much cheaper in digital format.

L0gicB0mb508

I stand corrected it is actually the prep guide, which is just questions and exam objectives. So, obviously it's not the same.

docrice

FYI on the Kindle release(s):

http://laurachappell.blogspot.com/2010/10/kindle-version-released.html

docrice

Got this in the mail today. I was expecting the typical paper certificate with my name on it. It turned out to be a bit nicer:






It's like a pamphlet with a cover page, description of the CPE program and logo guidelines, all in a frosty cover. The certificate seal sticker is washed out in the photo, but it has the Wireshark logo on it.

veritas_libertas

Very nice!

Oh, and congrats!

Paul Boz

Laura's signature is so ridiculous lol.

crashdump

Thank you for the review. Which exam is comparable WCNA? Is this exam entry-level?

RomBUS

Hmm definitely never heard of this cert....a rare one indeed.

I liked reading your initial post and made me quite interested. Do I need Wireshark experience to even give this a crack? Or do I not even bother if I've only used Wireshark seldom? I mean I am always interested in just learning and this peaked my interest a litte bit...and the pictures you put up made me want one =P

Very nice achievement, congrats!

docrice

Wow, a pretty old thread coming back to life...

This is not an entry-level exam. Don't expect to jump from doing the Network+ exam to the WCNA unless you actually understand some protocol analysis. I'd say maybe a third to half of the exam is about using Wireshark as an analysis tool to dissect events and see what might be going wrong using the various built-in feature sets. The other major portion is made up of normal / unusual behaviour regarding layer 2 - 7 traffic. It's stuff they don't really teach you at the CCNA level (or even beyond I assume).

I think getting this cert for most people isn't very practical as a resume addition. No one really knows about the WCNA. But being able to use a protocol analyzer and figure out root cause of problems is immensely valuable and all network engineers (and technical security analysts) should be able to do some of it.

YFZblu

I'm about 75% through my ICND2 studies, and I have WCNA on the horizon. I actually just got a $125 Amazon gift card in the mail and thought this might be a good book to use it on, considering the cost ($99) if you purchase the official study guide new.

I figured I'd start with 'Practical Packet Analysis: Using Wireshark to solve Real-World network problems', and then move on to the official study guide.

YFZblu

I also wanted to point out - I did some super scientific research, and plugged 'wireshark' into the job description field on Dice.com. A total of 268 hits appeared. Not nearly as many as say, CCNA, which manufactured 1300+ hits; but quite a bit more than Network+ (168 hits) which is a pretty marketable certification.

Obviously I didn't get 268 hits for "Wireshark Certified Network Analyst", however I think including the certification on your resume' will inherently ring a bell when someone sees 'Wireshark' listed at all.

docrice

I'm under the impression that the WCNA as a certification is relatively unknown. However, being able to do protocol analysis (whether it's with using Wireshark or some other protocol analyzer) is a much-overlooked skill.

YuckTheFankees

If you search ethereal/wireshark on indeed.com, over 1700 hits come up. Like Docrice said, the WCNA isn't really known to employers but the skills you learn will definitely benefit your career and troubleshooting skills.

the_hutch

YuckTheFankees wrote: »

If you search ethereal/wireshark on indeed.com, over 1700 hits come up. Like Docrice said, the WCNA isn't really known to employers but the skills you learn will definitely benefit your career and troubleshooting skills.

I agree with this completely. While some certs are strategic (i.e. I only got them for my resume), I also see working towards a certification as means to more effectively motivate me to learn important skills. I am taking the CISSP in August for completely strategic purposes (the certification is well known and will look great on my resume). But I don't expect to learn any new skills while working towards it. As soon as I finish that, I plan on doing the SPSE (SecurityTube Python Scripting Expert). While not the best resume bullet, I expect to learn more from this course. In these cases, the test is merely something to shoot for, and a means to motivate me to learn.

venerzky

I'm planning to have this Wireshark certification. Got copies of WiresharkU DVD's. Still lookign for the prep guide book.

lister

Do you just book the exam yourself or how does it work? Do you have to join an accredited school?

otherness

Hello everybody,

I've managed to pass WCNA today.
Used Study Guide 2nd Edition and that was enough for me.

I could say that exam is fair, just a few ambiguous questions. Exam has average difficulty as for me.

It lacks any report on result. Only seen a final screen with list of incorrectly answered questions. Would be have it on paper with some detailed score report.

JeanM

Congrats!

fyi - http://www.wiresharkbook.com/updates.html link does not work. Checked the main page and it lists

Wireshark Book Website
Wireshark Book Website
Wireshark Book Website

and a coming soon - "Troubleshooting with Wireshark" - Over 400 pages with 100 hands-on labs to find problems FAST.

matai

I noticed CBT Nuggets has a Wireshark course:

Wireshark Video Training Online | CBT Nuggets

It doesn't look like it's directly related to the exam, but I wonder if it'd be helpful.

gaurav.gauravagarwal

Hi All,

What type of questions are there in WCNA ? Packets structure / Protocol related questions / Capture-Display filters / etc..?

docrice

Pretty much. The questions in the WCNA Exam Prep Guide are similar to what's on the exam as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Wireshark-Certified-Network-Analyst-Edition/dp/1893939901/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397665730&sr=8-1&keywords=Wireshark+Certified+Network+Analyst+Exam+Prep+Guide+%28Second+Edition%29

darkuser

just bought the two books

jvrlopez

Is this exam more in line with troubleshooting network issues or more towards analysis re:security?

docrice

I'd say it's a combination of both. It has been some years since I've taken the exam, but I imagine the type of content is still the same.