Competencies: Networking > Wireless

802.11 Standards

Wi-Fi generations (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), frequency bands (2.4/5/6 GHz), channel widths, MIMO/MU-MIMO, OFDMA. Foundation of wireless networking.

Critical

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer

RF Fundamentals

Radio frequency basics, signal propagation, path loss, interference, SNR, antenna types (omni, directional), gain, EIRP regulations.

Critical

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer

Enterprise WLC Architecture

Centralized vs FlexConnect modes, CAPWAP tunnels, AP join process, mobility groups, RF groups, HA for controllers.

Critical

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer

Cisco WLC 9800

IOS-XE-based wireless controller, WLAN profiles, policy profiles, tag-based design, FlexConnect, wireless client troubleshooting.

High

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer (Cisco)

Wireless Security

WPA2/WPA3 (Personal/Enterprise), 802.1X/EAP methods, RADIUS integration, iPSK, guest portals, rogue AP detection, MIC/TKIP/CCMP.

Critical

Wireless Engineer, Security Engineer

Wireless Site Survey

Predictive vs active surveys, AP placement, heatmaps, coverage vs capacity design, interference analysis, spectrum analysis.

High

Wireless Engineer, Network Architect

Roaming and Mobility

Layer 2 vs Layer 3 roaming, fast roaming (802.11r/k/v), PMK caching, CCKM, mobility anchoring, seamless handoff design.

High

Wireless Engineer, Network Architect

Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax)

OFDMA, BSS coloring, TWT (target wake time), 6 GHz band operations, MU-MIMO improvements. Current enterprise standard.

High

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)

Multi-link operation (MLO), 320 MHz channels, 4K QAM, deterministic latency. Next-generation wireless for high-density environments.

Medium

Wireless Engineer, Network Architect

Wireless Troubleshooting

Client connectivity issues, association/authentication failures, roaming problems, RF interference, WLC debug commands, packet captures.

Critical

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer

Location Services

CMX/DNA Spaces, BLE beacons, RSSI-based location, wayfinding, asset tracking, presence analytics. Enterprise location intelligence.

Medium

Wireless Engineer, Network Architect

Wireless Mesh

Outdoor mesh networks, MAP/RAP roles, backhaul design, self-healing topology, bridging applications. Remote site connectivity.

Low

Wireless Engineer, Network Engineer

Wireless LAN / WLC 9800

Advanced

CHLA WLC 9800 management — WLAN profiles, RF groups, AP join, FlexConnect, policy profiles; iPSK and 802.1X wireless authentication via ISE

ISE Policy

No Cisco DNA Spaces, no Wi-Fi 7 deployment, no predictive RF planning