Overview

The Wireless LAN Administration training course offers detailed instruction on the foundation concepts and technologies of wireless data networking.

Course Duration: The course consists of 40 hours of combined lecture and labs. The course may be taught in 5 full days or may be spread over one Academic Quarter or Semester depending on the schedule and needs of the training organization.
Hands-on Lab Exercises
Course Outline

Certification: Upon completion of the CWNA Certification course, students will be prepared to pass the CWNA Certification Exam (Exam #PW0-100) at Prometric Testing Centers.


Prerequisites

It is recommended that all students have at least a basic knowledge of networking (as exhibited in Net+, CCNA®, CNA, or MCP) prior to enrolling in the course.

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Course Outline

Radio Frequency (RF) Fundamentals
• RF behavior
• Principles of antennas
• Following power output regulations
• RF math calculations

Spread Spectrum Technologies
• Uses of Spread Spectrum
• Frequency Hopping
• Direct Sequencing
• Comparing DSSS to FHSS
• Co-location and throughput analysis

Hardware Installation, Configuration, and Management
• Access points
• Wireless bridges
• Wireless workgroup bridges
• Client devices
• Residential gateways
• Enterprise gateways

Antennas and Accessories
• Omni-directional
• Semi-directional
• Directional
• Determining coverage areas
• Proper mounting and safety
• Performing outdoor/indoor installations
• Power over Ethernet
• Cables and connector usage requirements Organizations and Standards
• FCC rules
• Frequency ranges and channels
• IEEE 802.11 family of standards
• Wireless LAN organizations
• HomeRF
• Bluetooth
• Infrared

802.11 Network Architecture
• Joining a wireless LAN
• Authentication and association
• Basic Service Set
• Extended Service Set
• Independent Basic Service Set
• Roaming in a wireless LAN
• Beacons and Probe Frames
• Power management features

Physical and MAC Layers
• Differences between wireless and Ethernet frames
• Collision handling and the use of RTS/CTS
• Throughput and dynamic rate selection
• Analysis of DCF/PCF
• Interframe spacing
• Effects of packet fragmentation Wireless LAN Security
• Analysis of 802.11 security including WEP
• Available security solutions
• Types of network attacks
• Protecting the network from attacks
• Corporate security policies
• Security recommendations

Site Surveying
• Defining business requirements
• Facility analysis
• Interviewing network management and users
• Identifying bandwidth requirements
• Determining contours of RF coverage
• Documenting installation problems
• Locating interference
• Reporting methodology and procedures

Troubleshooting Wireless LANs
• Multipath
• Hidden node
• Near/Far
• Identifying and resolving interference problems
• Maximizing system throughput
• Maximizing Co-location throughput
• Channel reuse for roaming
• Range considerations

Hands-on Lab Exercises

Lab 1 - Infrastructure Mode Connectivity
This exercise demonstrates wireless client devices connection to an access point by using matching SSIDs and WEP settings. Students view the association table in the access point to understand the process a client goes through to connect to the network. RF output power is explained, and client utilities are studied to show RF signal quality and strength.

Lab 2: Infrastructure Mode Throughput Analysis
This exercise demonstrates the expected throughput achieved from a wireless station to a wired station and a wireless station to a wireless station by using FTP and throughput measuring software. The point of this lab is for the student to understand the half-duplex nature of wireless LANs and how the data rate relates to actual throughput in a real-world scenario. Access point frame relay is proven and explained.

Lab 3: Ad Hoc Connectivity and Throughput Analysis
In this exercise, wireless clients will connect to each other without use of an access point. Beaconing and channel configuration in an Ad Hoc environment will be explained and throughput will be analyzed and compared against an infrastructure environment.

Lab 4: Cell Sizing and Automatic Rate Selection (ARS) in an Infrastructure Environment
In this exercise, RF cell sizing and ARS will be demonstrated. Cell sizing is important for seamless connectivity when roaming and for security purposes. ARS is the ability of the wireless LAN client to speed up or slow down the wireless connection so as to maintain optimum connectivity with the access point. Environmental factors will be analyzed.

Lab 5: Rudimentary Security Features
In this exercise, the security features specified in the IEEE 802.11 standard are demonstrated in a mobile environment. Wireless clients attempt roaming between access points while using like and different Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs), MAC filters, and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Configuration, use, and security issues are discussed and explained.

Lab 6: Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Interference
In this exercise, the effects of co-channel and adjacent channel interference are demonstrated and explained. Throughput tests, using FTP and throughput measurement software, are performed by using fully-overlapping, partially-overlapping, and non-overlapping channels. Effects are analyzed and compared.

Lab 7: Dynamic WEP Keys and Mutual Authentication using 802.1x/EAP and RADIUS
In this lab the need for wireless security that is stronger than available in static WEP is explained, and port-based access control with EAP authentication is demonstrated and explained. Lightweight EAP is used with RADIUS for scalability of authentication. The 802.1x/LEAP association process is analyzed, and rotating unicast and broadcast keys are also explained.

Lab 8: Wireless VPNs using PPTP tunnels and RADIUS
In this exercise, the access point is the VPN tunnel server. The PPTP VPN client software built into Microsoft Windows is used to establish an encrypted VPN tunnel from the wireless client to the access point. The access point then sends the authentication request to a RADIUS server, and a tunnel is established. Use of the PPTP protocol with encryption in a wireless environment is also discussed and explained.