CWNA vs CCNA Wireless

[anurag007]

CWNA was the only widely recognized wireless certification in the IT industry, but that is beginning to change with Cisco entering the game with their CCNA-Wireless certification. Now the question becomes "which certification should I pursue or pursue first?" I think this all depends on both your background and your goals, but I thought it was worth writing a post outlining what I see as the differences and similarities between the certifications and I invite others to share their own opinions as well!

CCNA-Wireless - This is a vendor specific certification which means it focuses mainly on Cisco's implementation of the 802.11 standard. This option would probably be best for those who already have their CCNA, work primarily with Cisco wireless equipment, and are mainly looking to augment their wired networking knowledge with wireless.

CWNA - This certification is vendor neutral meaning that ideally the knowledge gained through studying for it could be used regardless of what vendor you choose to buy your equipment from. At first glance, this cert seems to go further in depth into RF technology and might be more appropriate for those looking to base their career on wireless rather than wired networking and also a good choice for those who do not already have their CCNA or do not use Cisco wireless equipment. It's also interesting to note that this certification is put out by a standards body that offers several tiers of certifications as well as specializations, all focused on wireless, so there is an opportunity to move on to further wireless certifications.