Free Practice Questions for CWNP CWNA-109 Exam

PoE has different standards that define different power levels for PSEs and PDs. The original standard, IEEE 802.3af, defines two classes of PSEs: Class 3 (15.4 W) and Class 4 (30 W). The newer standard, IEEE 802.3at, also known as PoE+, defines four classes of PSEs: Class 0 (15.4 W), Class 1 (4 W), Class 2 (7 W), and Class 3 (12.95 W). The power level received at the PD is always lower than the power level provided by the PSE, due to cable resistance and power dissipation. The IEEE standards specify the minimum power level that must be received at the PD for each class of PSE. For a Class 4 PSE, the minimum power level received at the PD is 25.5 W910. References: CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 7: Power over Ethernet (PoE), page 295; CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 7: Power over Ethernet (PoE), page 289.

In the 2.4 GHz frequency band used for 802.11 wireless networks, the channel bandwidth is typically 20 MHz, but the actual frequency spread of each channel is about 22 MHz due to the modulation techniques used. This spread causes overlap between adjacent channels, which can lead to interference and degrade network performance. To avoid this, it's essential to use non-overlapping channels.

The three non-overlapping channels in the 2.4 GHz band are 1, 6, and 11. Each of these channels is spaced sufficiently apart to avoid interference with each other:

Channel 1: Centered at 2.412 GHz.

Channel 6: Centered at 2.437 GHz.

Channel 11: Centered at 2.462 GHz.

Given the options provided, option C (1 and 5) is the closest to a pair of non-overlapping channels, although in practice, channel 5 would still cause some interference with channel 1 due to the 22 MHz spread. The ideal choice for non-overlapping channels would be any two channels among 1, 6, and 11, but this is not an option provided. Therefore, within the given options, 1 and 5 are the best choice, understanding that in a real-world scenario, 1 and 6 or 6 and 11 would be preferred to avoid overlap.

 The frame type that is used to reserve the wireless medium for the transmission of high data rate frames that may not be understood by all clients connected to the BSS is RTS. RTS stands for Request to Send and is a control frame that is sent by a station to request access to the medium for a specified duration. The RTS frame contains the source and destination MAC addresses, as well as a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) value that indicates how long the medium will be occupied. The destination station responds with a Clear to Send (CTS) frame that echoes the NAV value and grants permission to the source station. All other stations in the BSS hear either the RTS or CTS frame and update their NAV timers accordingly, deferring their transmissions until the medium is free. The RTS/CTS mechanism can be used to prevent hidden node problems, reduce collisions, and protect high data rate frames that use features such as 802.11n or 802.11ac that may not be compatible with legacy stations. ACK, Beacon, and PS-Poll are not used to reserve the medium for high data rate frames. References: [CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: Exam CWNA-109], page 112; [CWNA: Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: Exam CWNA-109], page 102.

Implementing Fast BSS Transition (FT) for roaming is likely to cause the least impact on the application layer throughput of an 802.11n client station in a 2.4 GHz HT BSS. FT is a feature that allows a client station to quickly switch from one AP to another within the same ESS (Extended Service Set) without having to re-authenticate and re-associate with each AP. This reduces the latency and packet loss that may occur during roaming, thus improving the user experience and maintaining the application layer throughput. FT is defined in the IEEE 802.11r amendment and is also known as Fast Roaming or Fast Secure Roaming. References: , Chapter 9, page 367; , Section 6.3

Granting access to specific network services or resources according to a user profile describes the authorization component of a AAA implementation. AAA stands for Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting, which are three functions that are used to control and monitor access to network resources and services. Authentication is the process of verifying that a user is who he says he is, by using credentials such as username, password, certificate, token, or biometric data. Authorization is the process of granting access to specific network services or resources according to a user profile, which defines the user’s role, privileges, and permissions. Accounting is the process of recording and reporting the usage of network services or resources by a user, such as the duration, volume, type, and location of the access. AAA can be implemented by using different protocols and servers, such as RADIUS, TACACS+, LDAP, Kerberos, or Active Directory. References: 1, Chapter 11, page 449; 2, Section 7.1

The CWNA Official Study Guide (CWNA-109), Chapter 8: Troubleshooting and Spectrum Analysis, explains that hidden node problems occur when two or more client stations cannot hear each other but can both communicate with the same access point. This leads to collisions at the AP because the clients transmit simultaneously without sensing each other’s signals.

“Hidden node problems can often be identified in a protocol analyzer by observing excessive retransmissions from specific client stations. These retransmissions occur because the station’s frames are not acknowledged due to collisions caused by other stations that the transmitter cannot hear.”

— CWNA-108 Study Guide, Chapter 8, Hidden Node Problem Analysis, p. 393–395

Therefore, when analyzing for a hidden node issue, you will typically observe:

Retransmitted frames from multiple STAs.

Higher retry counts for affected stations compared to others.

Hence, the correct answer is C. Retransmitted frames from multiple STAs with higher retry counts than other STAs.

When a station scans for available wireless networks, it listens for beacon frames sent by APs. A beacon frame contains information about the BSS, such as SSID, supported rates, channel, security, etc. The station also measures the signal strength of the beacon frames, which indicates how well the station can communicate with the AP. The signal strength is usually expressed in dBm or RSSI units. The higher the signal strength, the better the connection quality and performance. Therefore, the station can use the signal strength of AP beacons as the primary metric to select the best AP for connectivity to the desired BSS12. References: CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 6: Wireless LAN Devices and Topologies, page 249; CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 6: Wireless LAN Devices and Topologies, page 243.

Patch and panel antennas are directional antenna types that are commonly used by indoor Wi-Fi devices in a MIMO multiple spatial stream implementation. These antennas have a flat rectangular shape and can be mounted on walls or ceilings to provide coverage in a specific direction. They have a moderate gain and a relatively wide beamwidth, making them suitable for multipath environments where signals can reflect off different surfaces and create multiple spatial streams. Patch and panel antennas can also support polarization diversity, which means they can transmit and receive both horizontally and vertically polarized waves, increasing the MIMO performance. References: 1, Chapter 2, page 72; 2, Section 2.4