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CWNA - 2nd attempt
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| Hi All,
Missed the CWNA by one question last March. I need your input on what to study this time around. Last time there were some really lame questions and stuff that just wasn't in the book. I am going to read the "Official" study guide again. I understand they changed the test but is it still vague? Anyone taken the test recently? Do they still have questions on FIPS and tree density Crap? What Chapters would you recommend I study? I have been thru the book at least twice by now. Been teaching a chapter a month from the study guide in our wireless users group - www.occalwug.org. What other resources should I be focused on?
Any help would be greatly appreciated going for an 80% so I can teach it soon.  | |
| isles1 2004-01-07, 11:02 pm |
| You missed by one question? Did you request that your exam be reviewed by Planet3 for possible credit to push you over the passing mark? | |
| jroy1 2004-01-07, 11:18 pm |
| Yes, They said I missed basic stuff.
1. Modulation types used for DSSS & FHSS transmissions
2. Fresnel Zone size factors
3. RF Math problems
4. dB expressed as a power ratio
5. What happens when ARS takes the speed up/down
6. Maximum network speed in a co-located environment
7. Client configuration in an infrastructure environment
8. Factors affecting WLAN throughput
9. Collision detection/avoidance in a wireless LAN environment
10. Spread Spectrum technologies addressed in the 802.11 standard
I was dumbfounded when I saw this. It seems I overstudied or the test was really worded lame or a combination of both. So no use in crying. Any study resources you can recommend? | |
| isles1 2004-01-08, 9:06 am |
| http://www.wireless-nets.com/articles/index.htm
http://www.drizzle.com/~aboba/IEEE/
I think there used to be a great thread in here that listed many, many links to wireless resources on the web. I cannot find it though.
I used a book titled "Definitive Guide to 802.11," by M. Gest.
This was good good supplement to the CWNA Guide, but was probably overkill in many areas.
If you read the Guide over 2 or 3 times, and take notes to help drill certain topics you are fuzzy on into your memeory, I think you will be fine.
It is not a hard test if you know your stuff. However, it is chalenging, as a cert. test should be. | |
| tiberios12 2004-01-12, 2:21 pm |
| Just curious did you use any type of test prep software either from CWNP or Bosom? | |
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| doccheatem 2004-01-26, 11:25 pm |
| jroy1 and luisjo,
Hang in there. I'm sure that you'll pass the next time around.
Two other books that I've ordered to supplement my studying:
1)Wireless Local-Area Network Fundamentals
http://tinyurl.com/2l4nz
2) The Wireless Networking Starter Kit, Second Edition
http://tinyurl.com/2z5ud
The first book appears to be theoretically-focused. It looks good from what I've read about it. Hopefully, it is.
I haven't read any reviews of the 2nd book, which happens to be a 2nd ed (Try to avoid any confusion). All reviews were of the 1st edition. But I've read several good reviews of it. More of a hands-on guide.
This reviewer has a few Wireless book reviews:
http://tinyurl.com/2j3xc
Also, take a look at some of his other IT/InfoSec-related reviews:
http://tinyurl.com/3denf
Regards, | |
| melee 2004-01-28, 11:06 am |
| RF coupled to computer networking = 2 technologies that together present a challenge that is easily masked by the relatively small size of the CWNA study.
In my first OS class OS Design and Internal Principles I had a kindly old guy who stated "The plain fact of the matter is that most people have to read this stuff at least 4 times before they even begin to undertand it". This is something one might take into consideration when thinking about taking any exam after only two readings of the material. | |
| luisjo 2004-01-29, 9:20 am |
| Hi melee, im a computer guy who likes to buy books and read them to learn and whats better than pass and exam with your knowledge, i always read 2 or 3 books before taking a test. I sugest that if you can buy the boson test for any exam your planing, it will help you focus on your weak areas, i have proof that if i have a weak area in the boson test i will have the same weakness in the real thing.
Luisjo | |
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| Very good point
There are very few authors out there who are capable of delivering all of the material needed to pass an exam in a manner conducive to allowing everybody reading the text to understand it. That's why most books are authored by multiple people.
If I can't understand the material completely by my 4th reading then I change up on the texts in order that it might be explained in the manner needed to allow for my understanding of it.
There are no stupid people here, given the correct delivery we can all learn very well. | |
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| Just to let you know I just completed the exam for the CWNA req.
The score was a bit low (87) but higher then that required for an instructor.
I would recommend to anyone thinking about this one to read the ARRL (American Radio Relay Legue) handbook's antenna section. The level of knowledge in the RF realm needed on this exam is no joke. | |
| luisjo 2004-02-03, 12:00 am |
| Melee, when i try out for these test the first time i got the impretion that it was base a 100% on the book, i flunk it cause i didnt memorice the tham thing, what opinion do you have on these coment.
Luisjo | |
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| There are really few authors out there who can cover a thing of this sort adequately enough to allow for everyone who reads it to understrand it well. Most of these types of books are written by 2,3 authors or more.
Now I've talked with Devin via emails one day and he knows his stuff. There is no doubt about that fact in my mind. There is also no doubt about the fact that everything you need to pass the CWNA V.2 exam is in the CWNA study guide. I don't usually go up against an exam using only one book but on this one I did because the study guide (despite a few glitches in it that were not refenced on my exam) was 1 The only one I could find that covered this area specifically and 2 because I really did not believe I needed another one after having spent years looking into an O-scope working with more radios then I could count.
I've been into wireless since it was little more then two tin cans with a tight string between them. Still, though soem of the Q's seemed vague or the answers masked too well. I only hit one that I recognized as an attempt to point to an answer that was wrong. MS is much worse about those kinds of things though. Sometimes in the MCP exams I'm stuck wondering what it is they are testing, IT skills or english comprehension, if its the latter then I would suggest that the writers go back to colledge a while longer because of them seem to forget that good english skills are defined by getting to a point adequately using as few words as possible. And on that score Devin does well. | |
| Devinator 2004-02-03, 2:42 pm |
| Melee,
I was wondering if you ever got a chance to play with Inverse Multiplexed CAN technology? It's where you tie several strings between two cans for increased throughput. :-) They do the same with ATM (called IMA).
Devinator | |
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| Wow,  I'v ebeen ou tof radios for about 5 years but I did do some work on packet, amtor, pactor, and clover. All old stuff but still very alive.
The biggest difference between those and DSSS is that DSSS uses alot of phase shift keying instead frequency shift keying. In most of the older stuff a modem was attached to the microhone cord and when a tone was applied to it the result was a shift in the (usually) side band frequency.
Maybe I should invent an CSR can string router. | |
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| sulphurhead 2004-02-17, 7:34 am |
| hi
congrats on ure passing -and thanks for the links... | |
| lseals 2004-02-17, 8:13 am |
| Congratulations | |
| melee 2004-02-17, 12:06 pm |
| Way cool on the instructor's score pass man! | |
| ChrisCrawford 2004-02-18, 4:10 pm |
| 'sup J! Good Luck! | |
| ChrisCrawford 2004-02-19, 10:41 am |
| Well, I just read that you pass it. Congrats.
But I do have a question. In your opinion, does the study guide on examnotes.com adequately cover the test AND what chapters of the CWNA study guide do you feel were most emphasized and which were not.
Thanks,
c. | |
| archer20011 2004-06-16, 12:30 am |
| quote:
Originally posted by melee
Just to let you know I just completed the exam for the CWNA req.
The score was a bit low (87) but higher then that required for an instructor.
I would recommend to anyone thinking about this one to read the ARRL (American Radio Relay Legue) handbook's antenna section. The level of knowledge in the RF realm needed on this exam is no joke.
Yea! Good show!
Did you attend one of their bootcamps and if so, what was it like? The website say that it helps pass but it's expensive so if not needed..... | |
| melee 2004-06-16, 10:39 am |
| No boot camps here, too poor!
I was running a wireless lab for years though, so the RF end wasn't as large of a challenge as it would have been otherwise.
I did wear out the book though!
Since, I have also run the CWSP, again however the fact that I've been around the field for 5 years now was a plus.
Now all I need to do is find a company that will stay in business longer then 6 months before going under and I'll be ok.  | |
| archer20011 2004-06-16, 12:09 pm |
| Yes, that experience would really help passing the exam. They tell me that boot camp makes it a lot easier but it's way expensive.
Didn't you find the way they asked the questions pretty vague sometimes, especially when there was 2 or 3 choices to make? Some of the answers were that way too, for me anyway.
Also, tell us about the security exam please. | |
| meijin 2004-06-16, 1:03 pm |
| archer:
I recently attended the CWAP TTT (Train the Trainer) class in Atlanta and I can tell you the it was really worth the money. More so because Devin was teaching the class and believe me...that man knows his stuff.
As to the cost of the class, it is really no more expensive than other types of certification classes that last the same amount of time.
A class with a good instructor is worth it's weight in gold in my opinion.
Go to Planet3's website and check out the fourms there and you can probably get pointed to a good instructor there, I met several in the CWAP class.
Hope that helps! |
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