6 Replies Latest reply: Nov 7, 2019 9:32 AM by phil morgan RSS

    CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.

    Daniel
    Daniel Oct 30, 2019 9:41 PM

      Hi, there.

       

      I want to take either of the CWNA or CCNA Wireless. (Currently i got CCENT R&S), considering the deadline (all CCNA will be gone by the 23rd of Febr.) i can't go wrong with strategy now.....

      I researched the topics (exams/study material/resources and time needed) and come to the following conclusion:

       

      -The  book, "CCNA Wireless 200-355 Official Cert Guide" from David Hucaby got a lots of negative reviews, saying that it does not cover the CCNA WIFUND exam topics very well.

      -The cbtnuggets videos got thumbs downs for not providing in depth knowledge....

      -The udemy course from Lazaro Diaz got negative reviews for not covering the topics in depth.

      -The "Implementing Cisco Wireless Network Fundamentals (WIFUND) v1.0" is highly recommended but paying  600 dollars for a video course  (and what if its not better than the others?!)would be like a kick in my *****.

      -They say the Cisco Wireless 200-355 is easy, yet you can find people here who failed after months of hard studying.

      -there is no proper virtual lab exercise to simulate what you need for CCNA Wireless (this one is very strange but considering the cloud wifi management  and controller options...i dont know...is this true?)

      -the upcoming tech. wifi ax is not covered in either of the study materials


      Is there anybody here who has experience with the wireless CWNP career path or who has taken either of the CWNA -CCNA Wifi exams and could recommend the "holy grail" of reliable, up to date study materials that would be (with hard work and dedicated 3 months of study) enough to pass the exams?


      Any advice would be much appreciated.

      thank you in advance.


      Daniel.


        • 1. Re: CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.
          Ing_Percy
          Ing_Percy Oct 30, 2019 2:35 PM (in response to Daniel)

          Hi!

           

          It depends where you want to work, checking the topics, maybe one certifications could give more possibilities of finding a job.

          About Cisco certifications, from February 24th, 2020, you have the possibility of getting specializations without pre-requisites.

           

          Regards!

          • 2. Re: CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.
            Daniel
            Daniel Oct 30, 2019 9:38 PM (in response to Ing_Percy)

            Hi Ing_Percy.

             

            Thank you for the prompt reply, but what do you mean where i want to work?

            Both CCNA Wireless and CWNA are covering the topic from the basics.

            I just skimmed through the CWNA, book and it seems very similar to CCNA 200-355.

            Wherever i would work this would be the starting point of a wireless career.

             

            For my CCENT, Lammle's CCENT book and Packet Tracer + cbnt nuggets videos were enough. Clearly, this is not the case with Wifund 200-355.

             

            My question is specifically about study materials (which book/video series get me ready for either of the exams without putting me into financial crisis) because the ones are listed not covering the exam topics very well, according to the people who failed the exams.

             

            I got 3 months hard study ahead, I can't use the OCG nor the 2 listed video series, the customer feedback made it crystal clear.

             

            I would like to have advice from people who have passed (recently!) on how to do this/how they did it.

             

            Daniel

            • 3. Re: CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.
              Ing_Percy
              Ing_Percy Oct 30, 2019 9:47 PM (in response to Daniel)

              Hi!

               

              It depends of the requeriments of the companies. In my country, the job offer mentions, for example: "CCNA R&S certified", "CCNP Certified", etc. as requisites. For that reason, it is important to consider where you will apply your courses/certs.

               

              In a few time, if you don't have many time of hours to study, go for the more easier for you. In the personal, the another associate certifications are hard exams (they are available before February 24th, 2020). After, you must to study the unique CCNA or take the new exams for specialization or new corresponding CCNP

               

              Regards!

              • 4. Re: CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.
                Daniel
                Daniel Oct 30, 2019 11:41 PM (in response to Ing_Percy)

                Thank you Ing_Percy, now I understand your answer.

                 

                So, i do not have a specific company in mind with specific requirements.

                I love the "wireless' topic and would like to take the CCNA Wireless exam.(The way i see it: CWNA is not vendor specific, CCNA 200-355 is.)

                Considering the negative feedback on the OCG, and that I have a narrow, 3 months window till the exam expires, I need the best (possibly cheapest) study material that is recommended by professionals who recently passed the exams.

                The problem:

                Some say there is no lab in CCNA Wireless, some say there is but no virtual lab options in packet tracer to practice for it.

                Some say you got to know meraki-cloud controller etc.for the CCNA, some say it is all about theory.

                 

                you see my confusion?

                 

                Daniel

                • 5. Re: CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.
                  Ing_Percy
                  Ing_Percy Oct 30, 2019 11:46 PM (in response to Daniel)

                  Hi!

                   

                  Yes. It is true, the self-study is not a good option in a few time. You must have real devices or virtual machines (I don't see about it in Internet). Packet Tracer is very limited. Analyze and you could take the best decision.

                   

                  Regards!

                  • 6. Re: CCNA Wireless vs CWNA -advise needed- 3 months left to pass the exam before the CCNA is gone.
                    phil morgan
                    phil morgan Nov 7, 2019 9:32 AM (in response to Daniel)

                    Hi Daniel.

                     

                    I teach a lot of wireless classes and I would recommend attending class for Wireless.

                     

                    There is a lot to learn, it is not easy. I would never say the wireless exam is easy.

                     

                    I would not be too harsh on the Cisco Press book. It teaches a lot of concepts, but the exam may change. It is a great book to start to learn wireless.

                     

                    A lot of people say they cannot afford to attend class, and want to self study.

                     

                    Think about this for a second, would you become an electrician self-studying, or maybe an architect, or a lawyer?

                     

                    I would highly recommend doing some classes. It is an investment in yourself, and it speeds up the learning process.

                     

                    There is a huge community out there for wireless. Cisco Live has a ton of Wi-Fi topics. Also you could look at more generic Wi-Fi groups like the Wireless LAN Association, or Wireless LAN Professionals. Both of these have free Wi-Fi resources.

                     

                    There are also a ton of wireless Blogs...

                     

                    Hope that helps.