INTEL WIRELESS
Wired Stuff
WiFi Tablet Corner
My80211 White Papers (Coming Soon!)

Cisco Wireless Compatibility Matrix (Nov. 2011)

Archives - Did you know?
Podcasts / Videos

My80211 Videos

Cisco: 802 11 frames with Cisco VIP George Stefanick

Fluke Networks: Minimize Wi Fi Network Downtime

Aruba: Packets never lie: An in-depth overview of 802.11 frames

ATM15 Ten Talk “Wifi drivers and devices”

Houston Methodist Innovates with Wireless Technology

Bruce Frederick Antennas (1/2)

 

Bruce Frederick dB,dBi,dBd (2/2)

Cisco AP Group Nugget

Social Links
Revolution WiFi Capacity Planner

Anchor / Office Extends Ports

 

Peek Inside Cisco's Gear

See inside Cisco's latest wireless gear!

2.4 GHz Channel Overlap

EXAMPLE 1  

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3  

CWSP RELEASE DATE 2/08/2010
  • CWSP Certified Wireless Security Professional Official Study Guide: Exam PW0-204
    CWSP Certified Wireless Security Professional Official Study Guide: Exam PW0-204
    by David D. Coleman, David A. Westcott, Bryan E. Harkins, Shawn M. Jackman

    Shawn Jackman (Jack) CWNE#54 is a personal friend and has been a mentor to me for many years.  I've had the pleasure and opportunity to work with Jack for 4 years. Jack is a great teacher who takes complex 802.11 standards and breaks them down so almost anyone can understand the concept at hand. I'm excited for you brother. Great job and job well done! Put another notch in the belt!

IEEE 802.11a/g/n Reference Sheet

 

LWAPP QoS Packet Tagging

 

 

Interference Types

BLUETOOTH
 

Microwave Oven
 

Cordless Phone

JAMMER!
 

Entries by George (48)

Friday
Apr232010

802.1x or 802.1X – That is the question!

 

 

There is no other group in IT that focuses on details like ‘us’ wireless geekz. We read through books, PDFs, press releases and study every little detail! Last week the question came up. Is it, 802.1x (lower case) or 802.1X (upper case). BTW ~~ Headers aren't showing properly, but you get the idea. 

So what is the difference between a small x and a capital X ? Let’s first look how the IEEE assigns the numbers we reference everyday…. Let’s pick on 802.11 and 802.3, shall we.

802 = PROJECT

First , you have the 802 (PROJECT). This is the ROOT level of the tree. We reference 802 as part of 802.3 and 802.11 standards all day long. Think of 802 as the root / base of the tree.

802.11 or 802.3 = WORKGROUPS

Under the 802 project the IEEE assigns something called “workgroups”.  A workgroup is formed to solve certain issues. These are the folks that create the STANDARDS, key word here STANDARDS. Standards created by the workgroup always references capital letters, should there be a letter in the standard *cough* 802.1X 

Let’s look at two standards. 

802.3 = Ethernet Standard

802.11 = Wireless Standard

802.11n or 802.3af = TASK GROUP

Under the STANDARD you have something called TASK GROUPS. So the standard was defined and as needs arise and modifications are needed to the standard (also referenced as amendments), tasks groups are formed. Task groups start with a single lower case letter and sequentially progress a,b,c,d,etc.

For example, the 802.11 STANDARD was created and a TASK GROUP called ‘a’ was formed, also called the 802.11a amendment. 

(Note: once all the single letters are used, an additional letter will be applied. For example 802.3af)

So break it down ….. 802.11n = WHAT? 

(802 = PROJECT + 11 = WORKGROUP + n = TASK GROUP)

 

BACK to 802.1X

802 is the project, of course. We just covered that … 

1X is the WORKGROUP that created the 802.1X standard. The standard is ALWAYS referenced with a capital letter, in this case X. 802.1X IS THE STANDARD, as there isn't any amendments. So if you answered: Capital X, you are correct!

 

Wednesday
Apr212010

My80211.com “CWNA or BUST! -- Envelope please... and the winners are!

 

 

Envelope please... and the winners are!

I would like to thank everyone who applied for the My80211 CWNA / CWSP or BUST contest. It was a very very difficult decision to choose from so many great responses. Although you may not have been selected this go around, I encourage you to follow the blogging efforts of your peers. We will have similar giveaways in the future and I encourage you to apply!

Candidate Selection

When looking at candidates we took many factors in our decision making process. We wanted to insure each person had a desire and more importantly the drive to make it to the finish line of the CWNA or CWSP certification. While it is an extremely difficult to 'sniff' out folks with the desire and drive we think we did a good job. These lucky winners will be blogging to the WORLD with feeds through CWNP, MY80211 and other affiliated links. No pressure, right !? We also wanted to experiment with folks who have different levels of certifications. 

The lucky candidates have committed to a weekly blog. If they obtain their respected certification in 6 months expiring on 10/31/10 -- each will receive $100.00 of my hard earn cash towards their exam fee! 

In addition, tools are important. So, I will include an additional bonus. That’s right, there is more! Candidates will receive 2 Cisco 1200 series access points, console cable, power bricks, and a Cisco CB21 abg wireless PCMCIA – These are yours to keep courtesy of my80211.com   

I chatted with Kevin and the CWNP kits will ship this week. Expect to see your APs in 2 weeks! 

CWNP Sponsorship 

This could not be possible without the help of Kevin and Marcus @ CWNP. I would like to thank you for your contribution and I'm sure the lucky winners will as well. 

Envelope Please

and the winners are ........

John Bogard, Rick Todd, and Darby Weaver

John Bogard - John currently holds a CCNA certification. Some of you may know John from his participation on the Cisco Learning Network. John is seeking to expand his knowledge by achieving the CWNA certification. John is also studying for the CCNA Wireless Certification. 

Rick Todd - How can you not pick a guy with two first names (poor guy). ~~LOL~~ Rick has a wealth of hands on experience and holds a number of certifications. Rick currently holds both the wireless# and CWTS (CWNP) certifications. Rick has worked for a wireless ISP, has amateur radio experience and is seeking to further his experience and education by achieving the CWNA certification. 

Darby Weaver - Most of you may know Darby from his blog, "CHRONICLES OF DARBY WEAVER, NETWORK ENGINEER" @ http://darbyslogs.blogspot.com/ or maybe you follow him on Twitter. Darby currently holds a wealth of certifications (CCNP,CCSP,CCVP,CCDP,etc) and is interested in obtaining his CWNA certification. Darby currently works in the Healthcare industry and I know he will bring an interesting perspective and study style that you will enjoy and follow. Darby brings experience, hands on and a wealth of knowledge from wired to wireless.

I wish each of you success in your journey for your CWNA certification. Don’t underestimate this certification. It is a challenge to achieve and a mountain to climb! You will have thousands of peers following your blogs... I’m sure you'll do well. We're all on the same team and if there is ANYTHING that I can help with, I am a phone call / email away as well as the experts @ cwnp.com . 

As for me, I will putting my hat in the ring as well. I have put my CWSP studies on hold waiting for the new material which was recently released. I will be blogging my efforts for the CWSP!

Congrats ! The spot light is on us now and its time to put the rubber to the road!

 

Friday
Apr022010

Cisco Flexes Muscle: The Death of CiscoBlog.com

 

 

Cisco flexes muscle to http://www.ciscoblog.com/. CiscoBlog started in December 2005 and this week ciscoblog.com announced they will need to render the name on July 4th. 

Just my 2 cents, "PISS POOR CISCO!" Ciscoblog is a site by an engineer for engineers centered around Cisco technologies. Stop by and show your support...

Posted on ciscoblog.com:

Well, after 5 fun years of running CiscoBlog.com, Cisco "agents" have come. I was contacted by Cisco a couple weeks ago stating that CiscoBlog.com violates their trademark. Being that CiscoBlog.com gets 600,000 hits monthly (isn't that amazing?!?) I thought I could at least get a box of t-shirts out of the whole deal. Unfortunately, the response went something like, "Mr. Anderson...this is a legal matter. We don't negotiate."

So...I have until July 4th to find a new domain name. I guess if I owned Cisco, I wouldn't want some hoodlum posting at CiscoBlog.com...so I understand the complaint.

...I just wanted a box of t-shirts out of the whole thing... :o)

Monday
Mar222010

My80211.com “CWNA or BUST!”-- Giveaway! & Worldwide RSS Feed of your blog

 

 

I will be giving away (3) CWNP Study Guide Kits to 3 lucky and “committed” engineers  with a $100 exam reimbursement!

The giveaway will included: 

  • CWTS Study Guide- The Official Sybex CWTS Study Guide (1st Ed., June 2009), the latest
  • and most up-to-date study guide for the new PW0-070 CWTSP exam
  • CWNA Study Guide- The Official Sybex CWNA Study Guide (2nd Ed., April 2009), the latest and most up-to-date study guide for the new PW0-104 CWNA exam
  • CWSP Study Guide- The Official Sybex CWSP Study Guide (1st Ed., Feb 2010), the latest and most up-to-date study guide for the new PW0-204 CWSP exam
  • Online Practice Test Set - Unlimited license to ALL 4 practice tests - CWTS, CWNA, CWSP, CWNE - over 1,500 questions!
  • The CWNP 802.11n Video Training Course - over 5 hours of in depth training on the 802.11n amendment FREE! 

But this isn’t your normal giveaway!  It’s a giveaway with a twist! That’s right, what fun is there in just giving away free stuff!  There are strings attached to this puppy!! The lucky candidates will not be picked out of a hat or some random way. They will be selected!  (more on that in a bit)

GUIDES SPONSORED BY CWNP.COM

The 3 CWNP Study Guides are sponsored by CWNP (THANKS GUYS!).  We need to make sure these fall into the right hands, as I’m sure you would agree! In addition I will pony up the $100 kick back if you pass your exam (details below)!

With that being said, I am looking for (3) folks that are committed and I MEAN COMMITTED with ALL CAPS!. No “want to be” CWNAs, CWSPs, no CHEATERS (testking, pass4sure folks need apply!), no folks who lose interest after Chapter 2 either! I want 3 very hungry and passionate engineers who don’t understand the word quit and look at failure as a means of hitting the books harder to understand the concepts at hand!

The CWNP exams sets the stage for the fundamentals which will be used for a lifetime. I personally sat both the CWNA and the Cisco CCIE Wireless Written.  I found the CWNA to be more difficult then the IE written! That’s not a type O…  I’ve heard this statement from other peers who have sat both as well! It isn’t an easy test!

The professionals at CWNP -  Marcus, Kevin, Keith, Devin, GT, Compughter, myself and other contributors  are always on hand to answer your questions.  We believe in your success!

WHY THE GIVEAWAY

The question has been asked, why the giveaway. It’s simple. For those who know me personally and professionally, I enjoy sharing knowledge and collaboration at all levels of wireless. I have a passion for 802.11.  Over the years I’ve been blessed to work with some of the best RF engineers you will find in today’s enterprise.  I was recently blessed with an opportunity which has been a life long goal , an achievement of sorts. I know karma is a <S.O.B> too (LOL)!  I want to give back and keep the karma ball rolling! And what better way!

HOW TO APPLY AND STRINGS ATTACHED:

As I mentioned earlier, there are stings attached to this giveaway. Here is the how to apply and requirements. If you can’t meet these requirements for ANY reason please, I ask that you not apply. Only so that one of your peers may take advantage of this opportunity! If this is a success and we  grow a few  CWNA or CWSPs out of this giveaway we may just do this again!

Strings Attached:

In an effort to help others in their CWNP studies you will be given a personal blog that be hosted at www.my80211.com and be linked to www.cwnp.com ‘s worldwide RSS feeds, which includes FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, CWNP.COM,TWITTER among others (thousands worldwide)…  When I said thousands worldwide, I mean thousands worldwide! You will be the envy of your peers, co-works and friends, I’m sure! No pressure right!

Your personal blog will be a requirement. We want to hear about your daily, weekly studies. Your ramblings (of course respect the RSS feed and no spamming ) . Any labs, packet captures, your study habits, gear that you are working on etc … You get the idea? We want to follow you in your journey to become a CWNP professional!

(Disclaimer: Any jokesters or unprofessional conducted or spamming over the RRS feed gets you kicked ASAP, no questions asked as these feeds are LIVE and broadcasted)

I would ask that your study efforts be such that you prepare yourself to sit the exam in 6 months from the time you get your kit. The cost of the exam is on you. But IF you pass in the 6 month window (and you didn’t cheat – testking, pass4sure etc .. I will have Kevin and Marcus check ), and you contribute to your blog as required I will reimburse you $100 of your exam when you pass! Doesn’t matter if you take it 5 times, if by the end of the 6 months you pass you will have earned your $100 kick back. If you don’t contribute to the blog, drop off the face of the earth and then pop up with a pass you will be hard pressed to get my $100! Capish!?

Oh and btw, this isn’t just for CWNA applicants. If you passed your CWNA and you plan to study for the CWSP this applies to you too! How could I forget you guys! Your blog will be of course, CWSP or Bust!  

 

How to APPLY:

Candidates will be selected and not picked at random. If you are interested , you should submit the following information to cwna.or.bust@wirelesssguru.net  (note there are three sss’s).

Tell me a little bit about yourself for example:

How will the CWNA /CWSP cert change your position, job, or career perhaps?
What will a CWNA or CWSP mean to you!?
Certifications you currently have and or pursing
Study material you used or using to pass or study those certifications
Why should you be the lucky candidates over the next guy
Tell me about your study plan and how you will get your cert in 6 months
And anything else you feel …

All applications will be reviewed by me and other CWNP professionals in private. A winner will be selected by 4/15/10.

Then its GAME ON MY FRIENDS!

Candidates should read the following:

Cheaters Never Prosper: http://www.cwnp.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=1808

What is the BEST way to prepare for CWNP exams? http://www.cwnp.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=7

THANK YOU CWNP!

I want to thank Kevin Sandlin @ CWNP for CWNP's contribution and sponsoring the 3 study guides and the RSS feed link! Thank you guys for all your efforts !

 

Sunday
Mar212010

Keith Parsons sits with Jennifer Huber About Her Cisco CCIE Wireless Lab Attempt (Pod Cast)

 

 

Jeniffer discusses her Cisco CCIE Wireless Lab Attempt. Thank you Jenn for sharing. 

WLW: We’re glad to have Jennifer Huber with us to talk about her path to achieving CCIE Wireless including her first pass at the Lab. She shares with us some of her study techniques, and ideas on how to better prepare for this most difficult lab exam. 

http://wirelesslanprofessionals.com/wlw-009-ccie-wireless-lab-professional-reputation/ 

 

Wednesday
Mar172010

Cisco Wireless IP Phone (7921 / 7925) 1.3(4) Firmware Released

 

 

I've been a sleep at the wheel this week, busy with work, study and more work. Some interesting highlights in this release. WPA2 now supported with CCKM and Hardware Diagnostics!

Early reports from the forums I troll is that battery life appears to be less with this level of code. Also reports of better roaming are mentioned. Anyone out there testing this !? Would love to hear your feedback.

Hardware Diagnostics

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phones are frequently returned and a replacement is requested when the phone is operational. In firmware 1.3(4), a self-diagnostic tool is available to determine if a valid hardware issue exists.

You can access the Diagnostics menu from the Phone Settings menu, where the Keypad, Speaker, Microphone and WLAN Radio and Antenna can be validated.

The WLAN diagnostics menu is the standard site survey utility, which will use the current network profile information to scan for the configured network.

Full CCKM Support

Cisco Centralized Key Management (CCKM) reduces the amount of delay time by centralizing the key management, which reduces the number of key exchanges. To optimize secure roaming, CCKM can be enabled while in WPA or WPA2 mode.

Prior to this firmware release, CCKM was not supported when WPA2/AES was selected; this required a full re-authentication when roaming between access points, and could result in loss of audio during the roam. Now that CCKM is supported when WPA2/AES is selected, the full re-authentication is no longer required and roaming to a new access point should not result in any perceptible loss of audio.

Firmware 1.3(4) provides full CCKM support of all WPA versions. 

 

Table 3 Open Caveats for the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G and 7921G 

Identifier
Headline

CSCte96010

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone encrypted audio stream may stop if RTCP is enabled

CSCtf28069

WEP key style selected on the web page is transferred incorrectly to the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone

 

 

Table 4 Resolved Caveats for the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G and 7921G 

Identifier
Headline

CSCta24387

Support restriction bit in `CallInfo'

CSCta28990

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone is stuck, intermittently, with empty prompt message after power cycle

CSCta35313

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G misinterprets idle URL with & (ampersand) character

CSCta46131

Cisco Unified IP Wireless IP Phone cannot handle multiple entries in the DNS response

CSCta47991

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G beacon reception enhancement

CSCta85098

Date and time may be reset if the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G battery is drained

CSCtb04590

Wireless IP Phone ignores Unified CM restart command during active calls

CSCtb12622

Automatic login for Personal Address Book does not work

CSCtb37829

No Connection Admission Control (CAC) response can result in choppy audio

CSCtb45669

Wireless IP Phone does not reprovision after receiving wavelink package

CSCtb49823

Support for virtual host web server on Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone

CSCtb55584

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G MWI light is not properly displayed in `deviceinformationx'

CSCtb63016

Cisco Unified IP Wireless Phone 7921G has high battery consumption when the phone is idle on an active WLAN

CSCtc43993

The WLAN should not become active with `ClearPrompt' SCCP message

CSCtc44631

In the Japanese locale, the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G cannot select menu or help when there are more than 36 bytes in the title or status message

CSCtc54410

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G has voice gaps for inbound and outbound PSTN calls when connected to Unified CM Express

CSCtc73949

Received audio frame with mismatched codec may cause Digital Signal Processing (DSP) memory corruption

CSCtc79855

No Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) after adjusting volume while Wireless IP Phone receives RTP stream

CSCtc92119

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G data rate does not upshift after roaming from an 802.11b access point

CSCtd32102

Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G backlight does not switch off at specified time when in cradle

CSCtd90133

High power consumption on call causes low battery life

CSCte99257

PEAP server validation is not saved to flash

CSCtf02245

A blank IP address is exported to the Wireless IP Phone when configured via the webpage

Saturday
Mar062010

SPECIAL: All 3 CWNP Study Guides + All 4 CWNP Practice Tests for $100.00!

 

 

What a great value! The practice test alone are $200 if purchased separately! Don't miss this money saving opportunity! 

Your Order Includes:

  • CWTS Study Guide - The Official Sybex CWTS Study Guide (1st Ed., June 2009), the latest
  • and most up-to-date study guide for the new PW0-070 CWTSP exam
  • CWNA Study Guide - The Official Sybex CWNA Study Guide (2nd Ed., April 2009), the latest and most up-to-date study guide for the new PW0-104 CWNA exam
  • CWSP Study Guide - The Official Sybex CWSP Study Guide (1st Ed., Feb 2010), the latest and most up-to-date study guide for the new PW0-204 CWSP exam
  • Online Practice Test Set - Unlimited license to ALL 4 practice tests - CWTS, CWNA, CWSP, CWNE - over 1,500 questions!
  • The CWNP 802.11n Video Training Course - over 5 hours of in depth training on the 802.11n amendment FREE!

http://www.cwnp.com/store/products/ALL3SGS.php

Friday
Mar052010

Ascom I62, THE FIRST .11N HANDSET, INTRODUCED AT HIMSS IN ATLANTA

 

 

Big news out of HIMSS. Ascom  first to market with enterprise 802.11n VoIP handset, Ascom i62.

I've had the pleasure of working with Ascom on a number of projects as a consultant. In fact I participated in the first FREENET deployments when Ascom US first got started and designed and implemented the first Ascom IP Dect system for a large hospital system in the US when it was first released.

Ascom is an innovative company. In fact they were the first to market with the first 802.11g handset (i75) before Cisco, Vocera and Spectralink. This raises the bar yet again for Cisco and Spectralink, respectively.

Looking to get the stats on this device…. Stay tuned!


Monday
Mar012010

"Im going to let my Chauffeur answer that...."

 

 

Math and Physics for the 802.11 Wireless Engineer

I was recently asked by another (wired) engineer for a quick read to get up to speed with RF / 802.11. My answer, "Im going to let my Chauffeur answer that...."

As he gave me the look ... I said,"Ill send you the link"

If you haven't read this classic by Joseph Bardwell what are you waiting for ! This is a great PDF read and its easy on the eyes, well kinda. If you are new to RF / 802.11 this could close some of your learning gaps!

 


 

http://www.connect802.com/download/techpubs/2008/my_chauffeur_BD0414.pdf

Wednesday
Feb242010

Cisco Releases WLC code 6.0.196.0

 

 

Cisco Releases WLC code 6.0.196.0

Resolved Caveats

Caveats resolved in controller software release 6.0.196.0

 

ID Number
Caveat Title

CSCso38071

AP's do not remain Joined if directly connected to WLC2106

CSCsx70889

Crash due to stack corruption caused by recursive tunnels

CSCsz38828

AMAC radio core dumps: transmitter seems to have stopped

CSCsz75186

tcp crash by watchdog timeout due to tcp options

CSCtb12031

1142 / 1252 inconsistently ACKs Vocera (gen1) badge.

CSCtb13491

Malformed IKE packet may cause reload

CSCtb16583

AP changes from Static IP to DHCP and doesn't covert back to Static

CSCtb52563

WLC 4.2.205.0 crashes at spam_CCM_decrypt+124

CSCtc06925

1250-WGB fails to scan for the uplink when it goes out of wifi zone

CSCtc14910

AP 1140 not joinning WLC and logging tracebacks

CSCtc15696

1250 and 1130 APs flash got erased

CSCtc41293

Controller doesn't act upon receiving ICMP fragmented needed packet

CSCtc52054

AP1130 crash in HAL_A50X driver

CSCtc73414

AP not generating trap during radio UP -> radio DOWN transition

CSCtc83353

Dynamic interface support for RADIUS request and NAS-ID

CSCtd01611

Important TLS/SSL security update

CSCtd17116

Emergency Image Version shows up N/A

CSCtd18702

Max Tx Power in Country IE is incorrect

CSCtd23497

1242 AP HREAP Mode crashes after %CAPWAP-5-CHANGED state to Join

CSCtd34312

5508 Web Auth breaks with multicast MAC as gateway

CSCtd71123

Association failure due to WMM mismatch in AP and WLC

CSCtd84522

Fiber port (gig3) does not create VLAN subinterfaces when bridging

CSCtd91013

memory corruption crash on 5500

CSCte01087

5508 on 6.0.188.0 won't let AP join when on different VLAN than mgmt int

CSCte07702

Rap 1522 crashes periodically

CSCte08161

Cannot get IP address from server if key-management is "wpa optional"

CSCte43508

5508 data plane hang/crash Task Name: osapiReaper

CSCte73125

APs cannot join wism

CSCte90708

Controller crash in emWeb while viewing mac filter table in GUI 

Sunday
Feb212010

Cisco CCIE Wireless Training Offerings from FAST LANE

 

 

Jerome Henry from Fast Lane has developed the first of its kind, CCIE Wireless Training material labs, workbooks and boot camps. Jerome is the 3rd person to achieve the CCIE Wireless Certification and the first NON-Cisco employee! I'm a big fan of Jerome's. Keep up the great work! If you would like to see Jeromes work, follow his blog on my blogroll call.

Fast Lane CCIE Offerings

Fast Lane is proud to offer expert-level training covering the most coveted Cisco certifications available today, CCIE. Each of our programs are delivered by Cisco Certified Instructors, who also hold the certification for the courses they teach. When you attend our CCIE Wireless Bootcamps, you will be trained by a CCIE Wireless certified instructor. The way we see it, how can you expect to be successful in acquiring your CCIE when you are prepared by an instructor who has not experienced that success? At Fast Lane, you will get the highest-quality training from the most technical instructors teaching today.

As a Cisco Learning Solutions Partner (CLSP), all of the Cisco courses we develop independently must be reviewed and approved via Cisco’s rigid approval process. For example, the CCIE Wireless offerings below have all been approved by Cisco.

Fast Lane’s CCIE Wireless Program

Fast Lane is first to market with a CCIE Wireless Preparation Program. Designed and developed by the first CCIE Wireless (outside of Cisco Systems), our CCIE Wireless offerings include multiple learning products to give you the ultimate training experience. These products are designed to allow you to pick one or all products depending on your needs and learning style. You may choose from either of two five-day instructor-led bootcamps, two Study Guides: “Volume 1: Mastering the Technology” and “Volume 2: Increasing Speed and Skills” (available in April 2010), and a comprehensive set of remote labs that complement the study guides.

Pick from the list below to start your training: 

Pick from the list below to start your training:

Cisco CCIE 360 Learning Program

Fast Lane is proud to be Cisco’s only worldwide delivery partner of the CCIE 360 Learning Program.

Recently, Cisco redesigned their Authorized CCIE curriculum into a more engaging set of options that allow you to design a custom learning solution that makes sense for you. This new program is called the Cisco CCIE 360 Learning Program, and includes offerings for the CCIE Routing and Switching Exams (Written and Practical) and the CCIE Voice Exams. The Cisco CCIE 360 Learning Program develops expert-level skills through a structured combination of online learning tools and materials, resources for hands-on practice, access to qualified subject matter experts, and regular feedback and progress assessments. Multiple learning products and services are blended to provide you with a customized learning experience. These high-quality, content-rich programs provide you with the capability to map out a training plan for achieving your CCIE goals. The different components can be matched to your skill level, learning preference, and budget to give you maximum flexibility.

Fast Lane has created both value-priced packages and individual products to help you stay within your budget.

Program Benefits:

  • Cisco Authorized learning content aligned to CCIE certification expectations
  • Choice of components to fit different learning styles and budgets
  • Flexible, 24/7 remote access
  • Progress reinforced by frequent learning assessments
  • Learning suggestions tailored to assessment performance
  • Available worldwide from Cisco’s most trusted CLSP
  • Delivered by qualified Certified Cisco Systems Instructors
  • Online Learning Management System to manage and track your progress

Program Components:

  • Assessment: Take a diagnostic pre-assessment lab to benchmark your knowledge of various networking topics.
  • Planning: Based on the pre-assessment, create a learning plan that uses a mix of learning components to focus your efforts.
  • Learning: Learn by participating in lessons and lectures, reading materials, and working with peers and instructors.
  • Practice: Use the practice exercises to apply the lessons learned on live hardware.
  • Mastery: Further measure your understanding of the different approaches to solving network problems by completing knowledge and skill-based assessments.
  • Review: Review your work with a mentor and fine tune your skills based on the tips and best practices provided. 

leeched from http://www.fastlaneus.com/article/4717?hl=cciew 

Wednesday
Feb172010

A Milestone Reached: Cisco All Time Wireless Leader Board

 

 

A while ago my aim was to make the Cisco all time wireless leader board. This week that mile stone was achieved. My efforts here at my80211.com extends to many forums and Cisco netpros is just one of them.

I learned early, in order to stay fresh in technology you need to keep a book in your hand, a pdf on your screen and a forum to contribute. Lets face it, things change and they change fast. Back in the day, we were all known as the "computer guy". Today, you are a wireless guy, a routing+switching guy, security guy, voice guy or a server guy.

Today's technology has made us all specialist, subject matter experts and gurus in our area of expertise. Wireless by far is the smallest group in the industry when compared to routing and switching or security for example. These guys are a dime a doze :). But a good wireless engineer... hard to find and few and far between. 

I truly enjoy sharing and helping others when it comes to their wireless needs. I can recall like it was yesterday when an access point was flopped on my lap and I had no idea what it was or what it really did. It was a little intimidating in fact. Today, designing the RF and wired side for 100-1000 access points is just another day at the office.

If you are new to wireless. I might suggest you squat forums like CWNP and Cisco Netpros on a daily.  You may not have anything to contribute at first. But sit back and take all the questions and answers in. You will be surprised when you are in the field and you are faced with an issue you may have read about in a forum somewhere.

 I hope you find my80211 journey helpful!

 

Thanks

Wednesday
Feb172010

Meraki Virtual Stumbler

 

 

This is the first virtual Stumber of it's kind and you don’t have to be connected to the internet for it to work either (FireFox ONLY!). I had a friend call me this evening with a wireless issue and he didn’t have a wifi scanner installed. This is the next best thing! NO APPS OR DRIVERS TO INSTALL!

This virtual stumbler fits the bill for residential and hobbyist wireless users alike! And the price, its right, FREE! So how does it work you ask? Simply visit http://tools.meraki.com/stumbler and it will use your existing wireless card to scan the environment. No applications or drivers to install -- at all "SWEEEEET".

Q: What is the WiFi Stumbler?

A: The WiFi Stumbler is a browser-based wireless scanner tool that detects 802.11 wireless networks and displays useful information about the networks in an easily searchable, intuitive web interface. WiFi Stumbler can be used to optimize wireless network coverage, troubleshoot performance issues, detect rogue APs and perform basic pre-deployment site surveys.

Q: Can I use WiFI Stumbler when I am not connected to the Internet?

A: If your browser supports offline mode (currently only Firefox), then it can load WiFi Stumbler from its offline cache. This means that WiFi Stumbler will work in these browsers even when you are not connected to the Internet, as long as your wireless card is enabled. Simply visit the Stumbler page using Firefox once you are connected to the Internet. The site will ask for permission to use offline storage. Grant this permission, bookmark the page and you can revisit whenever you need to use WiFi Stumbler.

Q: How does the WiFi Stumbler work?

A: WiFi Stumbler captures data about nearby wireless networks from your computer's wireless card and displays it as a web page. It can even work when you are not connected to the Internet if your browser supports offline mode (currently Firefox only).

Q: Why is Stumbler a web-based tool instead of standalone, downloadable software?

A: By running in a browser, there is no need to download software to your computer. This makes it very easy to load and use since no software installation is required. It also can run on either a PC or Mac, unlike most downloadable software applications. In addition, as we will be continually adding new features to Stumbler, you will automatically get the latest version of the tool each time you reload the page.

Q: The WiFi Stumbler doesn't load on my computer/in my browser. Why not?

A: WiFi Stumbler requires Java support and does not currently support Linux. If your browser does not support Java or you are running Linux and you try to load WiFi Stumbler, you will receive an error message in your browser window. Currently, Google Chrome for Mac does not support Java so it will not run WiFi Stumbler. WiFi Stumbler is also currently a beta stage tool; if you encounter other problems getting Stumbler to load, please let us know using the Make a Wish box at the bottom of the page.

Q: Why do some networks appear in gray and others are in dark gray?

A: Networks appearing in light gray were not detected in the latest scan but were detected recently. The last time a network was detected by Stumbler will appear under the "Last Seen" column. If an access point stops broadcasting its SSID (eg. it was unplugged) or local RF interference or environmental obstructions prevent broadcast beacons from reaching your client then the network might "disappear" for a few seconds, in which case it would turn light gray until it is picked up in another scan.

Q: Why don't all of my network broadcast SSIDs appear in the Network List?

A: If an SSID is broadcasting in 5 GHz only and the wireless card in the client on which you are running Stumbler on does not support 5 GHz then the SSID will not appear in the Network List.

Q: What does "Hidden" mean under BSSID name?

A: If a network owner has disabled SSID broadcasting on their network, then the SSID is now "hidden". What that means is that the SSID name is no longer included in the the periodic broadcast beacons from the access point that alert local clients to the network. This is sometimes done as a security measure, as only clients that know the name of the network (or who use "sniffer" software programs) can associate to the network.

Q: Why does the same SSID appear twice with different MAC addresses?

A: If there are multiple access points in a network all broadcasting the same SSID, each AP will appear individually in WiFi Stumbler showing the same SSID. Also, if an access point contains multiple radios that are broadcasting the same SSID, each radio will appear individually in the WiFi Stumbler network list.

http://tools.meraki.com/stumbler

Saturday
Feb062010

Jennifer Huber: Lab attempt 02/02/2010 - first go round with the lab

 

 

If you have dreams of being a Cisco CCIE Wireless Expert and you aren't following Jennifer Huber CWNE#51's blog, then you should be! Jennifer just recently attempted the Cisco CCIE Wireless Lab this week. This was her first attempt.

At last count only 17 folks have passed the CCIE Wireless Lab. Just to give you an idea, San Jose is booked till August 2010!! 

Jeniffer Huber's Blog Post:

http://jenniferhuber.blogspot.com/

Well, I suppose I should put a few words together about my first experience at sitting for a Cisco CCIE Lab.  I didn't expect to pass, considering that there isn't any formalized training available for the wireless lab like there is for all the other CCIE tracks.  I scored a 60, and needed an 80 to pass.  I signed up for the next exam right after checking my score, and the earliest available date is was in August, so I booked the date.

I was glad that someone recommended that I bring ear plugs - they were a godsend since the CCIE Pod 01 I had was right next to the racks of equipment.  I had originally thought the ear plugs were so you didn't hear any one elses' freak out..  I couldn't hear anything over the noise of the rack w/o them & was glad for the quiet they provided.

I lost some time trying to figure out which shortcut on the desktop led to the PC that would let me web into the controllers once I'd gotten them initially configured.. I guess I should have asked about that sooner instead of waiting till after lunch.  I really didn't like the way the tasks were laid out in the book.  I felt that the information I needed was scattered around within the text, and the key pieces of information could have been laid out more clearly.  I guess that is part of the point of the lab though - and I need to come up with a way to lay out the information I'll need for all the configuration before I start.  I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth through the diagrams and scenarios looking for naming conventions and vlan numbers when if I had made my own "spreadsheet" it would have been one stop shopping.

Now that I know what I'm up against, I have drawn up a better plan of attack.  I have to be *much* quicker at the CLI of IOS APs and for WLCs.  I couldn't have anticipated how little time I'd have to complete each task correctly within the 8 hours allotted for the lab.

Saturday
Feb062010

packetlife.net - 802.11 Reference Sheet 

 

 

If you haven't visited packetlife.net then what are you waiting for !? Great site for the IT novice and professional. Focusing on routing and switching and they offer an impressive lab for FREE! Yes, i said FREE. 

 

Jeremy @ packetlife.net did a great job on these IEEE 802.11 quick reference sheets. These will certainly help in your journey with 802.11. Perhaps you are studying for your CWNA, CWSP or one of the many Cisco wireless certs. These reference sheets will not disappoint. In fact, you cant beat the price, FREE. These print out in color beautifully.   Jeremy Stretch did a great job putting these together. 

LINK: http://www.packetlife.com/media/library/4/IEEE_802.11_WLAN.pdf

 

 

 

 



Thursday
Jan282010

What is the difference between a Cisco 1141 and 1142 Access Point?

 

 

You hear the term; Cisco 1140 series access points. So why do they call it series ? Because there are "2" models of 1140 series access points.

Cisco 1141 is a single band 2.4 GHz access point. This model doesnt support the 5 GHz band.
802.11g/n Controller-based AP; Int Ant; FCC Cfg

Cisco 1142 is a dual band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz access point.
802.11a/g/n Controller-based AP; Int Ant; FCC Cfg


If you are deploying just 2.4 GHz 802.11g/n and have no furture need for the 802.11a/n band, then
you may want to consider the cost savings by ordering the 1141 model.

 

Monday
Jan112010

Understand your Cisco WLC Dashboard -- Find your links faster

 

 

If you’re going for the Cisco CCIE lab you need to know the GUI and CLI cold. Let’s face it. Time is short and your tasks will be MANY when you sit lab. You don’t want to have an issue between the chair and the PC. If you catch my drift … 

If you are new to the WLC the dashboard can be a little overwhelming for some folks. Lets face it, there are TON and TONs of ‘nerd knobs’. And knowing where these commands live can be a task.  When consulting and training, I came up with a process that helped students quickly grasp where these commands live. Let’s review the dashboard shall we ….

The dashboard has (8) buttons. They are Monitor, WLANs, Controller, Wireless, Security, Management
Commands and Help. 

MONITOR– Monitor is just that. The monitor page shows you a HUD of what is going on in your WLC. Understand each of the fields and the data collected in the monitor page for quick reference. This will help you to gather information when troubleshooting. For example controller summary, access point summary, client summary, rogue summary and most recent traps are located here. These areas give you a real QUICK snap shot of valuable information.  In short – Monitor is just that … Monitoring of your WLC …

WLANs – This is where your SSIDs live. This is where you will create your SSIDs, apply security (L2/L3), Wireless QoS and SSID tuning, such as P2P blocking, session timeout, etc.  You will find these under the advance tab.  On the left panel you will see an Advanced link as well. NOT to be confused with the Advance tab under WLANs. This is where your AP group config lives. In Short – WLANs is where your SSIDs live.

CONTROLLER – Controller is where your Wired lives. This is where you will configure your controller interfaces, vlans, gateways,  dhcp, ip addresses, general controller settings, ports, internal DHCP services, mobility groups, CDP and NTP.  These are all wired related options… In Short – Controller is where your wired lives

WIRELESS – This is probably one of the busiest links and the most confusing for first time users. In fact you have more options on this link then any of the others. Wireless is where your access points, RRM, mesh, QoS profiles, hreap groups and your wireless network (data rates) etc live. I might suggest you become very very comfortable with the options under wireless.

Lets look briefly at a few of the options. On the left panel you have access points. This is a list of access points that are joined to the controller. Under which you have radios  802.11a/n and  802.11b/g/n. This is where you can config the different radio per access point.

The next session under this is the 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n. Again not to be confused with the commands under access points. This is where your network and RRM settings live for each side of the radio. In short – Understand the wireless link COLD. This is where your access point and wireless data rates live. 

SECURITY – This is where your controller security and database security lives. Again, not to be confused with security under WLAN. You will find you radius server options, local eap, TACACS+, webauth, ACLs, wireless protection polices, etc. In short – Think of wired WLC security

MANAGEMENT – This is where your controller management lives. These commands are very very forward. HTTP, HTTPS, TELNET, SSH, logs, user sessions, user account creation, snmp, management via wireless. In short – This is where you will manage your WLC

COMMANDS – This is where you will upload/download  code, sig files, reset factory defaults, reboot the controller, set time. In short – This is where you will find your administration of code updates.

HELP – No need to cover this … If you are looking at this during your lab … You may not be ready for the lab … 

Monday
Dec282009

Wi-Fi Alliance Now Testing Single-Stream "N"

This is very interesting news. The WiFi Alliance is considering the certification of single-stream 802.11n product.

The Wi-Fi Alliance said it has started testing single-stream access points and routers that use 802.11n technology.

In an email to SmallNetBuilder, Kelly Davis-Felner, the WFA's Marketing Director said that testing had started last week.

Products that pass the test will not be Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n, since the 802.11n standard does not allow for single-stream access points and routers. Instead, they will carry the mark shown above (or a version without the "a" for single-band products).

According to Alliance literature, the single-stream certification indicates that the product is Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to the previous standards shown, and also contains some of the features of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n. These products may be referred to as “wireless-n” or “Wi-Fi n” by manufacturers.

Single stream products typically support a maximum connection rate of 65 Mbps using the default 20 MHz channel bandwidth and 135 Mbps using 40 MHz channel bandwidth.

Leeched from: http://smallnetbuilder.com 

Sunday
Dec202009

Wi-Fi On Four Wheels: Chevrolet Offers Dealer-Installed Wireless Internet System For SUVs, Trucks And Vans

I remember some of the first "home made" WiFi rigs in cars many years ago in fact I built one myself. It is no surprise to see this hit main stream. Having media and information at your finger tips is the advantage of todays technology. And lets face it, we've all done it at one point or another we needed to check email and pulled over to leech someones WiFi. However, the concern is, will this be just another distraction for drivers? I mean really.. You see it all the time, folks talking on cells and texting while diving, but now surfing?!?  From a hacking side of things ... This would make one sweet a$$ honey pot ! Talk about the information you could mine from one of these puppys !



DETROIT – Owners of several Chevrolet models can transform their vehicle into a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot with Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile. This dealer-installed system enables full Internet access inside the vehicle – and up to a 150 feet radius around the vehicle – with a laptop or mobile Wi-Fi device. 

“Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile enhances commuting, family vacations and work,” says Chris Rauser, Chevrolet Accessories Manager. “It benefits active families on the go, as well as professionals who need immediate information at remote job sites. Its uses are almost endless.” 

Autonet Mobile is the world’s first Internet service provider designed exclusively for vehicles. As a GM Officially Licensed Product, Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile is certified to work with the following new Chevrolet models: 

  • Equinox
  • Traverse
  • Silverado
  • Tahoe
  • Suburban
  • Avalanche
  • Express 

Chevrolet Wi-Fi reflects the trend of increased Internet access on the go. According to JiWire’s Mobile Audience Insights Report, eight percent of all public Wi-Fi users log-in while traveling on subways (three percent) and ferries or cruise ships (five percent). In addition, JiWire reports that total public Wi-Fi users jumped 18 percent in just seven months, from December 2008 to June 2009.  

Chevrolet Wi-Fi is designed for use by passengers, or by the driver when the vehicle is parked. The system requires no special software and achieves speeds up to 1.5 mbps. It uses TRU Technology to maintain Internet connections over the 3G network while the vehicle is in motion, allowing uninterrupted streaming of videos and more.

For families, Chevrolet Wi-Fi allows kids and teens to research homework topics on the ride home, connect to friends on social sites, and stream videos on long drives. The internet connection can support several devices at once, enabling multiple passengers to use the connection for their separate devices.  

When it comes to worksite use, the Wi-Fi connection offers immediate access to everything the Web offers to make the job quicker and easier, from access to online ordering sites, municipal sites with permit and building code information and more. And when used with a laptop computer, the information comes in a larger, easier to navigate format than the small displays of cell phones.

Additional docking stations are available, enabling customers to easily move the Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile router from vehicle to vehicle. 

Through Dec. 31, Chevrolet Wi-Fi is available for $199 ($399 retail price, less $200 mail-in rebate with two-year service agreement). Go to GMextras.com for more information. 

About Chevrolet 
Chevrolet is one of America 's best-known and best-selling automotive brands, and one of the fastest growing brands in the world. With fuel solutions that go from "gas-friendly to gas-free," Chevy has nine models that get 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway, and offers three hybrid models. More than 2.5 million Chevrolets that run on E85 biofuel have been sold. Chevy delivers expressive design, spirited performance and provides the best value in every segment in which it competes. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevrolet.com. For more information on the Vot, visithttp://media.gm.com/volt/.

Monday
Dec142009

New Cisco 802.11n Antennas for AP1250

Long over due from Cisco. If anyone uses these I would like to hear your feedback.

Cisco has just introduced three new antennas to give additional options in AP1250 installations. The ANT2451NV is a ceiling mount, dual-band omnidirectional 802.11n antenna, and the ANT2460NP and ANT5160NP are 802.11n patch antennas for 2.4GHz, and 5GHz respectively.

Please see the following part numbers, list pricing, and installation references.

  • AIR-ANT2451NV-R= 2.4 GHz 3 dBi/5 GHz 4 dBi 802.11n dual band omni antenna $475
  • AIR-ANT2460NP-R= 2.4 GHz 6 dBi 802.11n directional antenna $350
  • AIR-ANT5160NP-R= 5 GHz 6 dBi 802.11n directional antenna $350