Having taught a variety of IT classes and being a learner as I moved along, I have read and evaluated certification books from Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA,and EC-Council. Although not part of my job description I was always given the task of evaluating books. At one school I was the resident bookworm. I remember receiving the first PDF from Planet 3 and working to convince my boss, the school owner, to look seriously at the CWNA track. Ever since, I have been through these books over and over. The CWNA text from the 1st edition to the 3rd edition still hold an enviable place in my library. There are books that are excellent, yet very hard on the eyes and brain. This new text written by Mr. David Coleman and David Westcott has surpassed the standard set by these previous editions.
The question of authority in the book writing world has been blurred as far as I am concerned. Book writing has become a free for all profession. There are books being written on pace with tabloids, exaggerations, false claims and all. Something like a bookarazzi. However one can rest assured that Mr. Coleman and Westcott are fully authorized to write a book on WLANs. Though I don't think we have met, I have followed his writings for a long time. In my pursuit of CWNA and CWSP certification I hung on every word written by "Mr. Multipath" as he is affectionately known in the wifi world. Mr.Coleman is and has been a trainer/ consultant for the CWNP Program from the very beginning. His company Airspy Networks specializes in government classes and he travels the world dispensing knowledge. Mr. Westcott is also a seasoned "brainiac" fully versed in wifi technology. One can be comfortable in accepting the accuracy and relevance of the information provided.
Whenever I am called upon to evaluate a text I remove myself from instructor mode and allow my student person to come forward. In reading the CWNA text I quickly appreciated the appearance. The picture chosen for the cover is soothing, setting a tone of comfort, almost presenting itself as a book of relaxation. The feel of the book is not intimidating, what grabbed my approval was the fact that the book felt readable unlike some books that immediately triggered a response of " oh lord". I remember one school attempting to teach "An Introduction to WLAN" and for whatever reason chose The Definitive Guide to 802.11 Wireless Networks. You may well imagine the response from the learners. This text has that learner enticing appeal.
Next I looked at the general layout of the text. Definitely a positive for the reader is the placement of the CWNA objectives at the very start of the book. I remember directing previous students to the website to go through the objectives. Mr. Coleman and Westcott scored a big touchdown by introducing the book with the detailed objectives. In a previous article "How To Pass Your CWNA on Your First Try" I stressed the need for owning the objectives. This is an irreplaceable study map. In this edition of the book it is right there.
Contents and relevance are a huge indicator of a well written book. The CWNA third edition book for the PW0-100 exam carried thirteen chapters. Mr. Coleman reflects the huge advancements in WLAN technology by increasing the contents of the PW0-104 study guide to eighteen chapters. In comparing, one would observe the new subject areas High Throughput (HT) which covers 802.11n, Cooperative Control, advancements in the UNII band, new innovations in site surveying, Quality of Service(QoS), Spatial Multiplexing and Beamforming. This is extremely commendable considering the rapid changes in WLANs. In terms of relevance, I think this book is not only suited to the potential test taker but should be a must read for any professional in a networking environment. The diagrams and illustrations are truly there for learning and are not decorative. They are pertinent, up to date and informative. I am highly impressed with the chapter on RF Math and Spread Spectrum Technologies. The examples are well explained,attesting to the fact that what we have here is a truly student oriented text.
An authors choice of language can definitely be a positive or a negative. I've read books where the terminology used was irrelevant, confusing, almost mechanical. The flow of information in this text is almost automatic because of the author's style. The student/reader will gain immensely in terms of developing that language of commonality needed to explain concepts to the non IT person or converse with the trained IT professional. In a remarkably subtle approach, definitions are "snuck" in the presentation. This technique challenges the reader to want to know more, thus fostering research. The book also accomplishes this by providing the reader with a list of websites from which can be obtained current information. This book succeeds in maintaining the 80/20 rule by focusing on the 20% of the issue that makes 80% of the difference.
Included with the text is a glossary that also helps to prepare the learner who wishes to move forward to the advanced security certification. I have not gotten my hands on that new edition, but I am confident that being written by "Mr. Multipath" it will be off the hook. At the end of each chapter can be found a set of questions with answers and explanations. These questions are not run of the mill page fillers but are actually structured like some of the certification test questions. A CD comes with the text but unlike some books this one first, works and provides a test engine, flash cards and white papers.
In concluding I will give two thumbs up to the authors of this text. I believe it reflects what the organization thinks of wifi as a whole and their clients in particular. Being a believer in the importance of the CWNP program and recognizing what they have contributed to the world through their efforts, I can only expect more and more quality books. I would like to thank the authors for making my pursuit of CWNE easier. Keep on pressing.
Keith "KC" Charles
Emerging Technology Consultant
http://www.futurenetsconsulting.com
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