1st CWNP Posting

MY first CWNP Posting on my path to being a Wireless Engineer:

My Journey into the depths of understanding wireless and is underway, my books arrived Monday the 26th. I am about to take my IUWNE exam, I know there is more info to learn OK, I am not a writer nor was I a blogger before - so this is a new experience for me, here we go.

Once I learned I was one of the people selected for the CWNP or BUST my house was all excited. Having three children, two cats, a dog and a wife leads to some interesting study habits. Read it when you can; a standard answer is "Yes I am listing to you" while other topics are going throughyour mind. I read two chapter of the CWTS and the same with the CWNA, the combined four chapters I have read so far have been a much easier read than some of the other technical documentations I have read. I am planning on experimenting with 802.11n and b&g signals, doing some packets capturing to see how the beacons, probes and frames are affected. I have a neighborhood to play in so it will be interesting to test things out. While reading through the first two chapters of the CWTS I discovered some things that Iwas not aware of and having completed the first two chapters of the CWNA book the same is true. More technical postings will follow. I am just getting my feet wet so to say.

After having spoken with a few other people via email and on the phone, I am thinking that my study habits may need a little tweaking. I would rather go slower and retain more that rush through and not be able to recall as much.Thanks for reading and I am looking forward to the path before me.

Study gear is an Itouch for a mini sniffer to detect open networks and I am going to hunt around for other tools I can use on it. Laptops are an HPNX9600 and an Apple Mac Book Pro for sniffing, reading, digital flash cards,practice test questions, packet captures... OS are Win7 Pro, Win XP Pro, and Snow Leopard with a fare amount of Linux tools (that I really don't know how to use very well yet, but I will S00N™), There are a several older computers I can/will use to test connections and see about turning one or two of them in to rouge APs - an Ipad for reading/studies, connecting to AP's; going to see if there are tools I can install on it for a portable sniffer or Rouge AP as well... I have a couple out Netgear Wireless APs, Westell D90 AP, alot of routers and switches... no controllers (WLCs). Looking foreword to working with those Cisco 1200 AP's.

I noted several words that ran together after the post was sent to the BloG for posting... some how they did not show up before...very odd. Have to do a pre posting to ensure that does not occur again.

2 Chapters of CWTS down on to CWNA

Read two chapter of the CWTS this evening and tested on them - there are a few things I need to say about this. I found the material to be very easy to read. This may be due to by involvement with a group of guys on the Cisco Learning Network in part and that it was worded well. The topics are one I have seen in the past and a few were areas that were refreshed in my mind. The book was in a more logical manner than most I have read. Now on to a chapter of the CWNA, lets see if I am thinking the same way after it...

JCB

They have arrived!

They have arrived, my books are here in hand... Three of them to be exact: CWTS (Certified Wireless Technology Specialist), CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator) & CWSP (Certified Wireless Security Professional).

The formulated plan, my plan that is: Read through the CWTS book first starting with the Glossary to ensure terms and meanings. Then on to the chapters. There are eleven chapters in the book; which I believe I should be able to get through with in two weeks and move on to the CWNA book reviewing the glossary of it and eight-teen chapters which I should be able to get through with in four weeks. Then review for exam prep along with the 802.11n video on CWNP.com. Use the practice test engines and set a test date. From that point I shall plan the studies of the CWSP.


Let the Reading begin.

Study Plans

Morning is here and plans need to be made. Study schedule, family time and maintaining a healthy balance between the two. I have taken notes and completed tasks with the topic of study, this appears to reinforce the learning process considerably. Having given thought to what is the best way to study a new topic. One of the chief concerns is being able to remember what you have read, reviewed or have been exposed to, I believe that treating it like an experiment may be best for me. Write out a process and follow through then review by either self testing or practice tests. Personally, I am fairly certain that a lot of the underlying foundation for Wireless will be route memorization, to understand how the end result is reached. To know what is being done to achive this goal. How the different standards are able to work together, how they affect each other and the overall environment.

Hoping that my books for the CWNA or Bust arrive today.

More to Come

Waiting

I am awaiting the arrival of several books. I am looking forward to this very much, I will have a deeper understanding of wireless, WiMax and most likely several other topics I am not yet aware of.

I am reviewing my CCNA Wireless (IUWNE) materials - I wonder, if an exam crashed on you then how sure can you be that it is all correct...

There is going to be a blog and RSS feed from MY80211.com and the tests for this were completed... as for the RSS that is being completed this week I believe. The information should show up on CWNP.COM as well. Time to sleep lots to read.