CWNP Updated CWNA-109 Exam Questions and Answers by yusra

WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) is a security certification program developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks. It is important to understand the following:

• WPA2 and the 802.11 Standard: While WPA2 is based on elements of the 802.11i amendment to the 802.11 standard, it is not itself a standard but rather a certification to ensure devices comply with certain security criteria, including the correct implementation of CCMP (Counter Mode Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
• CCMP/AES Implementation: WPA2 enhances the security of wireless networks by using CCMP for encryption, which is based on AES, a robust encryption algorithm. This represents a significant security improvement over WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) that used TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol).
• WPA vs. WPA2: WPA was the interim security enhancement over WEP, utilizing TKIP for encryption. WPA2, however, moved to the more secure AES-based encryption method. Contrary to option C, WPA2 does not enhance security by using TKIP; it uses CCMP/AES.

Therefore, option B correctly describes WPA2 as a certification program ensuring devices properly implement the more secure CCMP/AES encryption methods.

References:

• Wi-Fi Alliance website for WPA2 certification details.
• IEEE 802.11i-2004: Amendment for Enhanced Security.

The guard interval is a short period of time inserted between the symbols of an OFDM signal to prevent inter-symbol interference and improve the robustness of the transmission1. The guard interval can have different values depending on the 802.11 standard and the configuration of the device. For example, 802.11n supports two guard intervals: 800 ns (normal) and 400 ns (short)2. 802.11ac supports the same guard intervals as 802.11n, plus an optional 200 ns guard interval for 80 MHz and 160 MHz channels3. 802.11ax supports three guard intervals: 800 ns, 1600 ns, and 3200 ns4.

The guard interval affects the data rate because it determines the duration of each symbol. A shorter guard interval means more symbols can be transmitted in a given time, resulting in a higher data rate. However, a shorter guard interval also means less protection against inter-symbol interference, which may degrade the signal quality and increase the error rate. Therefore, there is a trade-off between data rate and reliability when choosing the guard interval.

The MCS tables for HT and VHT PHY devices show the data rates for different combinations of modulation, coding, channel width, spatial streams, and guard intervals. For example, for a VHT device using MCS 9 with QAM-256 modulation, 5/6 coding rate, 80 MHz channel width, and one spatial stream, the data rate is 433.3 Mbps with a normal guard interval (800 ns) and 486.7 Mbps with a short guard interval (400 ns)2. Therefore, the guard interval impacts the data rate according to the MCS tables.

An immediate concern that you note after hearing this information is that the power budget in the edge switches must be carefully planned and monitored based on the number of supported PoE devices. PoE stands for Power over Ethernet and is a technology that allows Ethernet switches to deliver power along with data to devices such as VoIP phones and 802.11 access points. PoE devices are classified into different classes based on their power consumption and output. The edge switches have a limited power budget that determines how many PoE devices they can support simultaneously. If the power budget is exceeded, some PoE devices may not receive enough power or may shut down unexpectedly. Therefore,it is important to plan and monitor the power budget in the edge switches based on the number and class of PoE devices connected to them. Using Ether-channel, placing switches in optimal locations, or avoiding distortion are not immediate concerns related to PoE devices. References: [CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: ExamCWNA-109], page 234; [CWNA: Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: ExamCWNA-109], page 224.

CCI is still a possibility in this network because the client devices connected to one of the channel 1 APs will transmit frames that reach the other channel 1 AP as well as clients connected to the other channel 1 AP. CCI stands for co-channel interference, which is a type of interference that occurs when two or more devices transmit on the same channel within range of each other. CCI reduces performance and capacity because it causes contention and collisions on the wireless medium, which leads to retransmissions and delays. CCI can be mitigated by increasing physical separation between devices using the same channel or byreducing transmit power levels to limit coverage area. In this scenario, three access points are used within a facility. One access point is on channel 11 and the other two are on channel 1. The two access points using channel 1 are on either side of the access point using channel 11 and sufficiently apart so that they do not interfere with each other when they transmit frames. However, this does not prevent CCI from occurring between their client devices that are connected on channel 1. For example, if a client device connected to one of the channel 1 APs sends a frame to another device on the wired network or on another wireless network (such as an Internet server or a VoIP phone), that frame will be heard by both channel 1 APs as well as any other client devices connected to either of them on channel 1. This will cause CCI because these devices will have to wait for the channel to be clear before they can transmit their own frames. The answer that CCI only occurs in the 5 GHz frequency band is incorrect; CCI can occur in any frequency band where devices use the same channel. The answer that channel 11 loops around and causes CCI with channel 1 is also incorrect; channel 11 does not loop around and it operates in a different frequency band than channel 1. References: CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 5: Radio Frequency Signal and Antenna Concepts, page 147