CCNP Wireless – Not for the Faint

I recently had the privilege of reviewing some CCNP Wireless material. Although my CCNA expired a long time ago, I’ve worked with a lot of CCNP’s, CCIE’s, and Cisco gear (including wireless) over the years. I expected the material and content to be similar to other Cisco material I’ve read/studied. I have a CCNP Study Course sitting on my desk, if I can ever get to it.

Anyway, after reviewing the syllabus for CCNP Wireless, I can honestly say that you’re a Cisco Wireless Guru if you can pass all four of the exams without doing at least one cram course or buying the soon-to-be on-the-market Study Guides. You’ll need some strong experience and a good instructor to tackle this beast.

On a side note: I will say that from a security and manageability perspective, Cisco Wireless Solutions are hands-down the most secure, total solution I have seen.

For the CCNP Wireless, you’ll need to know about cool things like Cisco Mobility and a variety of acronyms like: WLAN, WLC, WCS,WDS, MSE, MAP, RAP, MAR, MFP, LWAPP, RMM, EIRP (no G), NMSP (and SNMP), and LOCP.

There is definitely some cool technology at work in the Cisco Wireless Solutions that allow RFID tags to be tracked, mobile routers to appear as wireless clients, a myriad of security features, and multicasting over wireless networks. Of course, you’ll be questioned on all the cool stuff too!

Actually, the high-end features of the Cisco Mobility Solution are what makeup a lion’s share of the certification. If you read through the focus areas for the exams, you’ll see: WCS Navigator, Mobility Groups, Mesh Applications, VoWLAN, Chokepoints, WCS Mapping, CCX Versioning, Radio Roles, and various QoS options/settings.

Luckily, CCNP Wireless is broken down into 4 parts: implementing Mobility services, implementing wireless voice networks, conducting site surveys, and implementing wireless security.

The Configuration Guides and Design Guides for the Controllers and the various WLAN Solutions will be very helpful along with some virtual lab time, unless you’re building an actual lab or attending the Cisco courses. I’d still recommend some practice questions and a review of the Cisco guides.