CWNA-109 Exam Dumps - Certified Wireless Network Administrator

Weak signal strength is the likely cause of the low data rate issue for the client that has a signal strength of -84 dBm and a noise floor of -96 dBm. The client is an 802.11ac client and connects to an 802.11ac AP. Both the client and AP are 2x2:2 devices. Signal strength is the measure of how strong the RF signal is at the receiver. Signal strength can affect the reliability and performance of the wireless connection, as well as the data rate and throughput of the traffic. The higher the signal strength, the better the signal quality and the higher the data rate. The lower the signal strength, the worse the signal quality and the lower the data rate.

The data rate of an 802.11ac connection depends on several factors, such as channel bandwidth, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), spatial streams, guard interval, and beamforming. However, these factors are also influenced by the signal strength, as they require a certain signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to operate properly. SNR is the ratio of the signal strength to the noise floor, which is the measure of the background noise or interference in the RF environment. The higher the SNR, the more robust and efficient the communication. The lower the SNR, the more prone and vulnerable to errors and retries.

According to the CWNA Official Study Guide , Table 3.7, page 112, an 802.11ac connection with a channel bandwidth of 80 MHz, an MCS of 9, two spatial streams, a short guard interval, and no beamforming can achieve a maximum data rate of 867 Mbps. However, this data rate requires a minimum SNR of 30 dB to maintain a sufficient signal quality. If the signal strength is -84 dBm and the noise floor is -96 dBm, then the SNR is only 12 dB (-84 dBm - (-96 dBm) = 12 dB), which is far below the required SNR for this data rate. Therefore, the data rate will drop significantly to match the lower SNR and signal quality.

To solve this problem, the signal strength should be increased to improve the SNR and data rate. This can be done by adjusting the output power or channel assignment of the AP or client, relocating or reorienting some APs or antennas to reduce attenuation or interference, updating or replacing some faulty oroutdated hardware or software components, etc. References: , Chapter 3, page 112; , Section 3.2

To calculate the EIRP at the antenna element, we need to add the transmitter output power, subtract the cable loss, and add the antenna gain. All these values need to be converted to dBm first, if they are not already given in that unit. In this case, we have:

Transmitter output power = 50 mW = 10 log (50) dBm = 16.99 dBm Cable loss = 3 dB Antenna gain = 9 dBi

EIRP = Transmitter output power - Cable loss + Antenna gain EIRP = 16.99 - 3 + 9 EIRP = 22.99 dBm

Rounding up to the nearest integer, we get 23 dBm as the EIRP at the antenna element12. References: CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Radio Frequency Fundamentals, page 92; CWNA-109Study Guide, Chapter 2: Radio Frequency Fundamentals, page 88.

OFDMA is a new modulation scheme introduced in 802.11ax that allows multiple users to share the same channel by dividing it into smaller subchannels called resource units (RUs). This improves the efficiency and capacity of the WLAN by reducing contention and overhead. However, to use OFDMA, both the AP and the client must support 802.11ax and negotiate the parameters of the subchannel allocation. Therefore, the customer needs to upgrade the clients that require OFDMA to 802.11ax devices12.

The other options are not correct because they do not reflect the reality of OFDMA. Option B is incorrect because OFDMA is a mandatory feature of 802.11ax for both downlink and uplink transmissions, and all 802.11ax APs must support it1. Option C is incorrect because OFDM and OFDMA are different modulation schemes, and OFDM does not allow multiple users to share the same channel. Option D is incorrect because 802.11ac devices cannot support OFDMA through driver upgrades, as they lack the hardware and firmware capabilities to do so2.

References: 1:CWNA-109Official Study Guide, page 144 2: OFDMA

 VSWR stands for Voltage Standing Wave Ratio, which is a measure of how well the impedance of the RF cable and connectors matches the impedance of the transmitter and the antenna. Impedance is the opposition to the flow of alternating current in an RF circuit, and it depends on the frequency, resistance, capacitance, and inductance of the components. A perfect impedance match would have a VSWR of 1:1, meaning that all the power is transferred from the transmitter to the antenna, and none is reflected back. However, in reality, there is always some degree of mismatch, which causes some power to be reflected back to the transmitter, creating standing waves along the cable. This reduces the efficiency and performance of the wireless system, and can also damage the transmitter. Excessive VSWR can be caused by using poor quality or damaged cables and connectors, or by using components that have different impedance ratings123. References: CWNA-109 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Radio Frequency Fundamentals, page 90; CWNA-109Study Guide, Chapter 2: Radio Frequency Fundamentals, page 86; CWNP website, CWNA Certification.

 This is because the passphrase for WPA2-Personal is case-sensitive and must match exactly on both the AP and the client. If the passphrase is entered incorrectly on the client, the client will not be able to authenticate with the AP and connect to the network. The AP that covers the problem area is not likely to require a firmware update, fail, or be improperly configured, as it is online and works with other clients that have the correct passphrase. To troubleshoot this issue, you can check the passphrase settings on the clients and make sure they matchwith the AP. You can also try to reconnect the clients to the network or reboot them if necessary. For more information on how to configure WPA2-Personal on your router