Cisco CCNP Wireless

Wireless engineering runs on a small amount of arithmetic. You work in decibels and dBm, calculate gain and loss across a link, and read signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio the way a client does.

• Milliwatts, dBm and decibels
• The rules of 3 and 10
• Transmit power, EIRP and link budget
• RSSI and signal-to-noise ratio
• Receiver sensitivity and data rates
• Checking a link budget by hand

You build A link budget worksheet for one AP-to-client path, checked against a measurement.

The antenna decides where the energy goes. You compare omnidirectional and directional antennas, read radiation patterns, understand gain and polarization, and match an antenna to a space.

• Omnidirectional and directional antennas
• Gain, beamwidth and polarization
• Reading azimuth and elevation patterns
• Internal and external antennas
• Choosing an antenna for a hall, a corridor or a warehouse
• Mounting and orientation effects

You build An antenna selection table for four common spaces, with pattern evidence.

Wi-Fi works because standards and regulators say who may do what. You learn who governs 802.11, how its frames and medium access work, and how a client finds, joins and leaves a network.

• IEEE, the Wi-Fi Alliance and regulators
• 802.11 generations and what each added
• Frame types: management, control and data
• Medium access and contention
• Scanning, authentication and association
• Reading an over-the-air capture

You build An annotated capture that shows a client finding, joining and roaming from a network.

Channels and power are shared resources. You compare the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands, choose channel widths, work within regulatory limits, and avoid co-channel interference when planning a floor.

• Band characteristics and trade-offs
• Channel plans and channel width
• Dynamic frequency selection and its limits
• Regulatory domains and power limits
• Co-channel and adjacent-channel interference
• Planning channel reuse across a floor

You build A channel and power plan for one floor, with the reasoning for every choice.

Cisco offers several ways to run a wireless network. You compare controller-based, embedded and cloud-managed designs, then implement the physical and management connections for APs, controllers and dashboards.

• Controller-based, embedded and cloud-managed designs
• Choosing an architecture for a site
• Power over Ethernet and AP switch ports
• Controller connections and link aggregation
• Management access and interfaces
• Connecting to a cloud dashboard

You build A network diagram and port plan for one site, with an architecture justified.

An AP that cannot find its controller is a dead radio. You bring up a controller, understand discovery through DHCP and DNS, follow the join process, and troubleshoot an AP that will not join.

• First-time controller setup
• Discovery methods for access points
• DHCP and DNS settings that guide discovery
• The CAPWAP join process
• Software and configuration at join
• Troubleshooting an AP that will not join

You build A controller with joined APs and a troubleshooting record for one deliberate join failure.

Each AP can play different roles, and each WLAN carries its own rules. You choose AP modes, build WLANs with their security and policy, and apply client management features that steer devices to better connections.

• Local, FlexConnect, monitor and other AP modes
• Creating a WLAN and its profile
• VLAN assignment and policy mapping
• Band steering and client load balancing
• 802.11k, v and r assistance
• Verifying client behavior after a change

You build A set of WLANs on one controller, with client management settings explained.

Who connects and how is a security decision. You configure pre-shared key, WPA3 and 802.1X authentication, run authentication through the controller or an external server, and decide which suits each user group.

• Pre-shared key, WPA2 and WPA3 personal
• 802.1X and EAP methods
• Authentication against an external RADIUS server
• Local and web-based authentication
• Identity-based policy through ISE
• Troubleshooting a failed authentication

You build Two WLANs, one with a pre-shared key and one with 802.1X against a RADIUS server.

Clients are the part you do not control. You support devices running different operating systems, tune roaming so calls survive a walk down a corridor, and deliver guest access that is easy and safe.

• Windows, macOS and mobile client behavior
• Roaming types and fast transition
• Layer 2 and Layer 3 roaming
• Guest portals and web authentication
• Anchoring and isolating guest traffic
• Diagnosing a client that will not roam

You build A guest network with a portal and a roaming test that records a client’s path.

A wireless network is never finished, so you watch it. You monitor clients and APs, read logs and captures to diagnose connectivity faults, maintain software, and link the platform with identity and management tools.

• Client and AP monitoring
• Logs, events and traps
• Packet capture on APs and controllers
• A method for troubleshooting connectivity
• Software maintenance and upgrades
• Integrating with ISE and Catalyst Center

You build A troubleshooting guide with three worked client faults and their captured evidence.

Programmable wireless means you can query and change the network from code. You read Python, describe NETCONF and YANG for wireless controllers, call wireless APIs, and explain how Catalyst Center’s AI analytics and AI-driven RRM change operations.

• Reading a Python script that queries a controller
• NETCONF and YANG for wireless
• Wireless APIs
• AI-driven analytics in Catalyst Center
• AI-driven radio resource management
• Judging AI recommendations before accepting them

You build A script that pulls client and AP data from a controller and summarizes problems.

Take a building from survey to steady operation. You plan radio, choose architecture, deploy APs and WLANs with the right authentication, test roaming and guests, and set up monitoring.

• Surveying the site and planning RF
• Choosing architecture and connections
• Deploying APs, WLANs and authentication
• Testing roaming, guest access and capacity
• Setting up monitoring and handover

You build A full wireless design and deployment record for one building, with test results.