What certifications are available out there for wireless network engineering? When I did some research, I found that there is really one authority on wireless certifications.

This episode is about identifying vendor-neutral certifications and vendor-specific certifications.

I talk about some of the reasons why one may want to be certified in wireless. Not everyone gets certified and its definitely not an absolute requirement to hold a certification.

Additionally, many will fail certification exams. I have failed a couple in my career. Just don’t let that get you down. Keep studying and stay determined.

Why get certified?

* Get your foot in the door

* Explore a career roadmap

* Learn / grow expertise

* Show value

* Promotion / salary increase

* Stay current

* You have to (VAR or MSP)

Certifications

* CWNP – 6 certifications

* CWTS (Certified Wireless Technology Specialist)

* Entry level for sales, project managers, and those new to WiFi.

* Good for a lifetime

* CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator)

* Understanding RF, site surveys, etc.

* RF fundamentals

* Antenna concepts

* Standards

* Protocols

* MAC and PHY layers

* Architecture

* Security

* Valid for 3 years.

* CWAP (Certified Wireless Analysis Professional)

* Must have CWNA

* For those who want to know how to analyze, troubleshoot and optimize WiFi.

* Getting down to the nitty gritty.

* PHY layer frame formats

* MAC layer frame formats

* Frame exchanges

* Spectrum analysis

* Protocol analysis

* Troubleshooting

* Valid for 3 years.

* CWDP (Certified Wireless Design Professional)

* Those who want to properly design WiFi.

* Requirements analysis

* Site surveys

* Design

* Deployment

* Validation

* Need CWNA.

* Valid for 3 years.

* CWSP (Certified Wireless Security Professional)

* Prove your knowledge in WiFi security.

* Intrusion and attacks

* WIPS

* VPNs

* Security design models

* Encryption

* Need a CWNA.

* Valid for 3 years.

* CWNE (Certified Wireless Expert)

* Not an exam.

* Go through an application process.

* Written paper.

* Need all certifications.

* Average Salary

* CWNA – $71,250 – $105,750

* CWNE – $157k – $262,500

* Comptia

* Mobility+ (MB0-001)

* Vendor neutral

* Focuses on mobile device management, troubleshooting, and security.

* Includes not just wifi but CDMA, TDMA, GSM, WiMAX, LTE, and others.

* Covers 802.11

* RF characterstics

* Antennas

* Site surveys

* Network infrastructure

* And OSI model

Vendor Certifications

You can go for vendor specific certifications from vendors such as Cisco, Aruba, and Ruckus. While these certification tracks will teach you some WiFi specific technology, they are aimed more towards configuring a specific v...