The CWAP Wireless LAN Analysis course consists of hands-on learning using the latest enterprise wireless LAN analysis and troubleshooting tools. This course takes an in-depth look at the functionality of WLANs, intended operation of the 802.11 protocol and Wi-Fi Alliance specifications, WLAN frame formatting and structure, troubleshooting methodology, and protocol analysis.

It also includes extensive training in modern spectrum analysis with a focus on advanced RF behavior analysis, data collection methods, interpreting spectrum plots and charts, and understanding advanced features of WLAN spectrum analyzers. Students who complete the course will acquire the necessary skills for analyzing, assessing, and troubleshooting wireless operation in the enterprise, utilizing hardware and software solutions from the industry’s leading manufacturers.

This course is excellent preparation for the challenging CWAP Certification, and includes practice exams and “Exam Cram” sessions (Exam Number: PW0-270). It is also very hands-on intensive, roughly 50% hands-on, with lots of time to get your hands on real equipment to perform actual Wi-Fi Analysis work.

This intensive course covers all that is required to prepare for the CWAP Certification, including:

• 4 intensive days of hands-on training
• Official CWAP practice test questions
• Exam voucher for the CWAP Certification Exam (# PW0-270)
• Mentor support after class by our Wireless Expert team

It also ensures that students leave with real hands on skills. Hands-on exercises include the following:

• Protocol Analyzer Setup, Use, and In-Depth Analysis
• Understanding Frame Components
• Frame Exchanges
• Troubleshooting Common Problems
• Spectrum Analyzer Setup, Use, and In-Depth Analysis

During class, you will develop skills and knowledge on the following objectives:

• 802.11 Physical (PHY) Layer Frame Formats and Technologies
• 802.11 MAC Layer Frame Formats and Technologies
• 802.11 Operation and Frame Exchanges
• Spectrum Analysis and Troubleshooting
• Protocol Analysis and Troubleshooting
• CWAP-402 Exam Objectives (Exam available until November 30, 2018)
• CWAP-403 Exam Objectives (Exam available October 1, 2018)

Principles of WLAN Communication

• 802.11 Working Group
• OSI reference model and the 802.11 PHY and MAC
• Communication sublayers and data units
• WLAN architecture components
• Organization of station forwarding
• Addressing and internetworking operation
• Modern WLAN product architectures

Physical (PHY) and MAC Layer Formats and Technologies

• Physical layer functions
• Preamble function and format
• Header purpose and structure
• Analysis of PHY problems
• Physical PPDU formats
• 802.11b
• 802.11a
• 802.11g
• 802.11n
• MAC frame components
• MAC encapsulation
• Fields and subfields of the MAC header
• Frame Control
• Frame types and subtypes and their uses
• Addressing
• Frame body
• Data frame format
• Control frame format
• Management frame format
• Information elements and fields

Protocol Operation

• Beaconing and synchronization
• Scanning
• Client state machine
• 802.11 contention
• QoS
• Admission control
• Band steering and airtime fairness mechanisms
• Fragmentation
• Acknowledgments and Block acknowledgments
• Protection mechanisms and backward compatibility
• Power management
• Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) and Transmit Power Control (TPC)
• Security components, methods, and exchanges
• Roaming procedures exchanges
• Future protocol enhancements

802.11n

• Transmit beamforming
• Spatial multiplexing
• Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC)
• Space-Time Block Coding
• 40 MHz channels
• Frame aggregation
• HT-OFDM format
• Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS)
• HT frame formatting
• And More

Protocol Analysis Tools and Methodology

• Troubleshooting methodology
• Protocol analyzer types
• Analysis NIC/adapter selection and constraints
• Interpreting results based on location
• Analyzer settings and features
• Filtering and channel scanning
• Interpreting decodes
• Using advanced analysis features
• Assessing WLAN health and behavior factors
• Evaluating network statistics
• Troubleshooting common problems
• Wired analysis to support wireless network issues

Spectrum Analysis Tools and Methodology

• Radio frequency behavior review
• Visualizing RF domains using spectrum measurement tools
• Spectrum analyzer types and operation
• Analyzer specifications and characteristics
• Understanding spectrum data presentation
• Interpreting plots and charts
• Common WLAN spectrum analyzer features
• Identifying transmit patterns
• Device classification and network impact
• Recognizing transmit signatures

Hands-on Lab Exercises

Protocol Analyzer Setup, Use, and In-Depth Analysis

• Basic installation and familiarity with capabilities, configuration, and data display
• Opening, collecting, saving, and modifying capture files
• Exploring common features like device naming and prioritization, filtering traffic, and using coloring rules as analysis aides
• Configuration of the tool to perform live captures based on a set of desired collection criteria
• Identifying significant network behaviors, metrics, and statistics used to identify and isolate network problems
• Using expert features of the analyzer, such as conversation analysis
• Remote packet capture with an AP

Understanding Frame Components

• Understanding the MAC header
• Comparing the three major frame types and their subtypes
• Analyzing frame formats of individual frame types
• Analyzing 802.11n frame components
• Identifying what additional information is reported by protocol analyzers
• Understanding what information is not visible in protocol analyzers

Frame Exchanges

• Connectivity exchanges and sequences
• Legacy and modern security exchanges
• ERP and HT protection mechanisms
• Power save behavior
• Acknowledgments, block acknowledgments, and supporting action frames
• Dynamic rate switching
• Band steering
• And more

Troubleshooting Common Problems

• Troubleshooting connectivity exchanges
• Troubleshooting 802.1X and EAP exchanges
• Troubleshooting roaming

Spectrum Analyzer Setup, Use, and In-Depth Analysis

• Installing the analyzer and becoming familiar with display and navigation
• Understanding the “RF perspective” provided by each plot and chart
• Using built-in features like markers and traces as well as automated device identification
• Characterizing the behaviors of an interference source
• Assessing the impact of an interference source
• Determining the impact of transmitter proximity on interference and spectrum displays
• Identifying signatures of common transmitters
• Remote spectrum analysis with an AP

This intensive, 4 day course is intended for network and system administrators, consultants and engineers that need to support Wireless LAN deployments. It also is a great course for network analysts and architects.

You will need to have your CWNA (or the equivalent in experience and knowledge) before attending the Enterprise Wi-Fi Analysis & Troubleshooting – CWAP Certification Course.

Note that CWAP Certification does require that the candidate pass the CWNA certification exam (PW0-104) as well as the CWAP certification exam (CWAP-402 Exam available until November 30, 2018) or (CWAP-403 Exam available October 1, 2018) in order to achieve certified status.