Understanding Wi-Fi Networks - Seminar

Course Overview

This unique, comprehensive and authoritative one-day briefing is designed for Management, Sales, Marketing and other non-techical personnel. The course provides an essential introduction to 802.11 (WiFi) Wireless networks, that is focussed on the needs of non-technical personnel.

Audience

• All management personnel, both technical and non-technical, responsible for instigating, authorising or managing WLAN projects.
• All staff within an organisation that need to understand the operational and security issues of wireless networks, and the need to protect an organisation's interests.
• Sales and Marketing professionals responsible for selling or marketing IT products, particularly wireless, data networking, voice or IT security products and services.
• Everyone wanting an "Understanding WiFi networks" seminar.

Skills Gained

On completing this Wi-Fi seminar, delegates will be able to:

• Know how and where WiFi networks can be used, to increase productivity and reduce costs.
• Understand how WiFi can be used to reduce wide area networking costs.
• Understand how WiFi can be used by mobile and roaming users, as an alternative to fixed line, dial-up and mobile communications solutions.
• Understand the efforts underway to support inter-working between WiFi and cellular networks.
• Describe the organisations and laws governing the use of wireless networks.
• Understand the fundamental concepts and operating principles of WiFi.
• Describe the concepts and benefits of Voice over WiFi (Wireless VoIP).
• Appreciate the product ranges and offerings of the major enterprise WiFi vendors.
• Appreciate the choices that organisations face when implementing wireless LANs.
• Understand the terminology and jargon used with wireless LANs.
• Gain an insight into professional planning, design and implementation processes with 802.11 wireless LANs.
• Understand and quantify the support issues and resources for WiFi in your organisation.
• Calculate the costs of implementing and supporting WiFi networks in your organisation.
• Understand the security issues with WiFi and its potential impact on your organisation.
• Understand the security mechanisms and countermeasures that are available for WiFi vulnerabilities.
• Understand the WiFi network auditing that is required by organisations running WiFi networks.

Prerequisites

The ability to work with Microsoft Windows is useful, however delegates require no previous technical knowledge or experience prior to attending this course.

Course Outline

Introduction to WiFi Networking

• The Wireless Network industry
• The Wireless LAN market
• Wireless LAN applications
• Wireless terminology
• Organisations and Vendors
• International laws for WiFi
• IEEE 802.11 family of (WiFi) standards
• IEEE 802.11a, b, g
• WiFi Alliance standardisation
• WPA and WMM
• More "WiFi standards"
• IEEE 802.11h, i, e, f, n, r, p, s, u, v

Understanding Wireless Basics

• The basics of radio / wireless
• Radio antennas
• WLAN data rates and ranges
• RF channels and channel reuse
• RF Interference
• Common sources of RF Interference
• What is Multipath?
• What are Hidden Nodes?
• What is the Near/Far issue?
• Busting more WiFi jargon ...

Wireless Bridge Links

• Understanding Bridging
• What are the opportunities and issues with Wireless Bridge Links?
• How do we assess the viability of wireless links?
• Wireless Bridges
• Point-to-Point bridging
• Point-to-Multipoint bridging
• Increasing bridge link distance
• Bridge link calculations
• Wireless workgroup bridges

Wireless Ad Hoc networks

• Ad Hoc WLAN concepts
• Are Ad-Hoc networks good or bad?

Defining Your WiFi Network Requirements

• How do we determine the requirements of WiFi users?
• What are the most significant issues when planning a WiFi deployment?

Assessing Enterprise WiFi Vendors

• Who are the major WiFi vendors?
• What are their product ranges?
• How do they compare?
• How should we select our vendor(s)

Assessing WiFi Network Suppliers

• What should I look for in a supplier
• How should we select our supplier(s)
• The bidding process

Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi or Wireless VoIP)

• How feasible is Voice over WiFi today?
• Who are the major vendors?
• What are their product ranges?
• How do they compare?
• What are the issues when deploying Voice over WiFi?

WiFi Security

• The types of network attacks
• How serious are the threats?
• Understanding Wired Equivalence Privacy (WEP)
• Configuring WEP
• What's wrong with WEP?
• Understanding WiFi Protected Access (WPA)
• What is 802.1x/EAP?
• What is Cisco LEAP?
• What is RADIUS authentication?
• How do we implement AAA?
• Will we need a wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS)?
• How do we ensure wireless endpoint security?

WiFi Network Management

• Why is WiFi network management an issue?
• What needs to be done?
• What are the challenges when managing WiFi networks?
• How manageable are WiFi networks?

Site Surveys, Design and Implementation

• Understanding the process of Wireless network Planning and Design
• Coverage requirements
• Capacity requirements
• Security requirements
• What are the different types of wireless site survey?

Training and Support

• Why is training required for wireless network support?
• What skills will my wireless network support team require?
• What training will my IT staff require?
• What are the common problems and support issues when wireless networks are deployed?

Follow On Courses

• Understanding Mobile and Wireless Communications - 2 day training course
• Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) Training Course (UK) - 5 day training course