A certified wireless networking administrator (CWNA®) holds the related professional technology certification and has a broad understanding of wireless networking’s theoretical concepts and practical applications. He can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, government agencies, educational institutions, corporations, and homes, where wireless networking is useful. He selects and installs a variety of wireless equipment, configures network devices and client computers, troubleshoots hardware and network problems, and defends the network against attacks and outages.
Designing and installing wireless networking systems that best fit an organization’s infrastructure needs is a large part of a certified wireless network administrator’s job. Local area networks for businesses, wide area networks that span a large geographic area, wireless warehouse tracking systems, and wireless telephone systems are just a few examples. Some administrators may also set up small home and office networks, as well as wireless Internet access systems for homes in rural areas. Picking the right wireless access points, bridges, controllers, access cards, and handheld devices, if applicable, is part of the planning and installation process. A certified wireless network administrator configures all of the equipment to work together properly and securely after it is installed.
Troubleshooting is an important part of a certified wireless network administrator’s job because of the various problems that can occur with wireless networks. Interference, weather problems, noise from nearradio devices, channel conflicts, and suboptimal system throughput will all be investigated and resolved the administrator. When a wireless access point and another device are too far apart, coverage issues can arise, causing the network’s performance to suffer. A CWNA® is also responsible for troubleshooting issues that arise with specific brands and models of network hardware, so as newer devices are added to the network, he may require additional training.
A certified wireless network administrator is responsible for preventing unauthorized network access, network attacks, and privacy breaches on a wireless network. Because wireless networking is particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping, spoofing, and denial-of-service attacks, wireless network administrators typically use encryption and monitoring software to detect these issues. Because some types of wireless network monitoring software allow a CWNA® to specify an action that will be taken if the software detects an attack, certified wireless network administrators are usually good at security planning.