Author Interview: Tom Carpenter

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The Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) certification from Planet3Wireless offers IT professionals the opportunity to add a wireless LAN credential to their resume, a big plus in today's mixed networking environments. This is the first certification level in the Certified Wireless Networking Professional (CWNP) program, and encompasses radio frequency technologies and IEEE 802.11 network implementation as well as some wireless network security knowledge, among other topics. Author Tom Carpenter, who has several wireless certifications under his belt, recently took time to give us an in-depth look at the CWNA certification, it's relationship to real-world job opportunities, and what is really involved in earning this IT credential.

GoCertify: The CWNA is billed as a vendor-neutral certification. Is it really, and if so, how can someone be considered competent in wireless technology without having the knowledge of an particular products?

Tom Carpenter: Yes. The CWNA certification, as with all CWNP certifications, is a vendor-neutral certification. The exam tests the candidate’s knowledge of wireless networking technology that is applicable to all or most hardware and software that is in the marketplace. For example, a candidate would need to know that Access Points usually offer certain features, such as variable output power level and detachable antennas. By gaining hands-on experience with any vendor’s hardware, the candidate will internalize the knowledge needed. He or she will never be tested on specific steps for a particular device. It is more likely that the candidate will be asked which common Access Point settings can be used to reduce the RF signal cell size and the answer may be variable output power level or detachable antennas. The is a tremendous focus on the IEEE 802.11 standard as amended and this knowledge applies to all wireless LAN hardware in one way or another.

GoCertify: How will studying for and achieving the CWNA certification help an IT professional’s career?

Tom Carpenter: Well, it’s always interesting to note what the CIO or hiring surveys show. Many recent surveys have shown that hiring managers will be looking for individuals with wireless LAN administration and security experience in the coming years. Of course, it is important to remember that few companies are hiring people with knowledge of only wireless LAN technologies. While the actual vendors that market and sell wireless equipment may be an exception, most organizations are seeking people who are either network infrastructure specialists with a knowledge of wireless LANs or server administrators with a knowledge of wireless LANs. Additionally, there are more and more jobs showing up on job sites for individuals to work in security positions that require a knowledge of wireless LAN security. While the CWNA certification is aimed at wireless administration, it does present the basics of security in a wireless network and provides an excellent foundation for the CWSP (Certifies Wireless Security Professional) certification. In fact, I wouldn’t attempt to pass the CWSP exam without first passing the CWNA exam.

GoCertify: Do employers actually seek out people who are CWNAs? What kinds of employers?

Tom Carpenter: On any given day, a search of a job site such as Monster.com, DICE.com or Hotjobs.com will usually reveal a few jobs requiring or preferring a candidate with CWNA or CWSP certification. These jobs range from network engineers to IT Directors and even sales representatives. I’ve seen demand in all sectors, but there seems to be a lot of interest in the health care, retail and manufacturing/warehousing sectors. Since the CWNP program is much newer than CompTIA or Microsoft certifications, many hiring managers are just now becoming aware of the program and the value it provides. I certainly only see upward growth from here, seeing how important wireless networking and the triple-convergence over wired and wireless networks is to the future of most organizations.

GoCertify: What kind of hands-on experience is really needed to pass the CWNA exam, and if you don’t have access to the equipment at work or can’t risk the live network, how can you obtain the experience?

Tom Carpenter: The most practical way, from a cost perspective, is to attend a hands-on authorized training course. As the author of the CWNA, CWSP and Wireless# certification study guides, I’ve had to acquire equipment to build my own labs. For the CWNA book alone, I spent more than $5500. As you can see, the authorized training class is much more cost friendly. I would encourage all CWNA candidates to get some hands-on experience configuring an enterprise-class access point (like a CISCO 1200 series device) and a wireless LAN switch if at all possible. Configuring and reconfiguring these types of devices will help you remember a large volume of information related to access point and wireless LAN switch features that you can otherwise easily forget.

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