Delivery: Online
Estimated Length: 12 seat hours
Price: $400
The NCTI® Applying Wi-Fi Technologies course teaches the broadband technician about applying elements and principles that support installing and troubleshooting Wi-Fi within the home and in business environments. Wave propagation, channel assignment, interference, security, and frequency bands are fundamental topics that technicians working in the Wi-Fi environment must understand. While Wi-Fi signals have become commonplace, the need remains to understand how devices receive and process Wi-Fi data, troubleshoot interference, and optimize Wi-Fi within the home or business. The Applying Wi-Fi Technologies course is appropriate for all Wi-Fi installation and troubleshooting technicians working in a Wi-Fi environment, offering fundamental and advanced topics.
Completion Time:
The estimated seat time for this course is 12 hours. The maximum allotted time is four months from enrollment.
Benefits:
- receive an industry-recognized NCTI certificate of graduation
- receive credit toward NCTI Telecom Specialist certification
- receive credit toward NCTI Master Installer certification
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe Wi-Fi modulation, frequency band characteristics (4, 5, and 6 GHz), and the IEEE 802.11 standards and amendments used in wireless networks.
- Identify wireless router components and antenna features, and explain how beamforming is used for signal enhancement.
- Describe how SISO and MIMO devices communicate and the MU-MIMO advantages over MIMO and SISO.
- Explain the difference between SSIDs, ESSIDs, and passphrases, describe why WEP should not be utilized, and clarify the differences between WPA, WPA2, and WPA3.
- Explain the significance of SSIDs and Wi-Fi security types, the difference between Wi-Fi frequency bands, and the impact of transmit power and channel width choices.
- Recognize the importance of signal strength, interference sources, and the preference for wired connections in optimizing Wi-Fi network performance.
- Describe Wi-Fi scanner operation, limitations, network graph, and how spectrum analyzers detect RF activity, including density and waterfall views, navigation waterfall, utilization measurements, and signature identification.
- Explain how to connect a modem, access the router’s administration page, select appropriate channels, implement channel bonding, protect a wireless network, and educate users on security and guest network setup.
- Compare mesh networking to traditional Wi-Fi, detailing managed Wi-Fi and its benefits, and explain mesh network app functions and troubleshooting techniques.
- Explain Wi-Fi signal thresholds, optimal device placement, and attenuation factors.
- Describe connecting a modem to a router, router administration, the SSID’s purpose, proper channel selection, and bonding in various frequency bands.
- Identify and describe network protection methods and security, the benefits of managed Wi-Fi, the difference between mesh and traditional Wi-Fi, mesh network app functions, and troubleshooting techniques.
- Describe channel planning to mitigate CCI, including complications in the 5 GHz band and considerations for wider channels.
- Explain the advantages and considerations for the 6 GHz frequency band, the relationship between transmit power and interference, wave propagation in Wi-Fi bands, and planning for multi-frequency networks.
- Describe authentication in WPA2 and WPA3 networks, how to deploy PPSK and SAE with a complex RADIUS server, the mounting and centralized management of APs, considerations for deploying a PoE network, and the rationale behind disabling LEDs on APs.
- Distinguish between CCI and ACI, recognize alternative frequency bands, and identify various Wi-Fi signatures, including those of cordless phones, baby monitors, Bluetooth, and gaming consoles.
- Explain device interference, factors determining Wi-Fi speed, and IEEE amendments’ supported frequencies.
- Articulate band selection concerns and describe solutions for Wi-Fi dead spots, signal strength through obstacles, and methods to enhance signal strength within a home.
Outline:
Wi-Fi Foundations
Radio frequency basics, 802.11 Wi-Fi standard amendments, wireless routers and gateways, antennas, antenna radio schemes, Wi-Fi security
Wi-Fi Overview
Router settings, frequency bands and channels, signal strength, interference and speed
Wi-Fi Tools
Wi-Fi scanners, spectrum analyzers, site and RF validation tools
Residential Wi-Fi Installation
Gateway or router placement, wireless router setup, Wi-Fi security setup, mesh access and managed Wi-Fi
Commercial Wi-Fi Installation
Commercial access points, commercial environment signal strength, enterprise Wi-Fi security, SMB and enterprise hardware and software
Wi-Fi Troubleshooting
Wi-Fi interference, non-Wi-Fi interference, client device capabilities, Wi-Fi signal strength troubleshooting