About Cisco CCIE Enterprise Wireless Certification
The Cisco CCIE Enterprise Wireless certification validates the individuals’ skills and knowledge of complex enterprise wireless solutions. The potential candidates for this path must pass two exams. The first is a qualifying test that focuses on core enterprise technologies. The second is a practical lab exam covering enterprise wireless networks all through the complete lifecycle of a network, from design to deployment, optimization, and operation. The intended applicants for this certificate are mid-level network engineers, help desk technicians, network administrators, and network support technicians.
Please note that this expert-level certification has no formal requirements. However, the candidates must have an extensive understanding of the topics of the exams before attempting them. Although the certificate does not have any official prerequisites, it is recommended that the students possess at least five to seven years of practical experience in the design deployment, operation, and optimization of enterprise wireless solutions and technologies before sitting for the associated tests.
Exam Details
Cisco 350-401 is a 2-hour written test covering a range of domains required for you to know to have a solid knowledge base. The exam is part of the fulfillment for the CCNP Enterprise, CCIE Enterprise Wireless, Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core, and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certifications. You will have about 100 questions covering the entire content that they are available in English or Japanese, depending on your choice. Please note that you will need to pay $400 for the registration process and use your Pearson VUE account.
The second exam is an 8-hour practical lab test that measures the individuals’ competence in planning, designing, operating, optimizing, and implementing complex Enterprise Wireless networks. The learners will also be required to automate and program networks based on the exam topics. It is important to mention that you must first complete the written test before attempting this hands-on option, and it must be taken within 18 months of passing the qualifying one. Those individuals who do not ace the lab exam have up to 12 months to retake it before the result of the written test becomes invalid. Otherwise, they will need to restart the certification process.
To be fully prepared for these certification tests, you need to have a thorough preparation process. For the written exam, Cisco recommends the Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies course to help you prepare with great deliberation. This training equips the interested candidates with the skills and knowledge required for configuring, managing, and troubleshooting enterprise wireless and wired networks. The students enrolling for the course will also learn the process involved in implementing the security principles and automation & programmability in an enterprise network. They will also learn the process involved in overlaying network design with the use of SD-WAN and SD-Access solutions.
Exam Topics
To avoid retaking any test, the candidates must understand and develop competence in the exam topics. The highlights of the domains covered in the CCIE Enterprise Wireless certification tests are enumerated below.
1. Cisco 350-401 (ENCOR)
The core exam provides you with solid knowledge that can be easily enhanced with the specialized or practical expertise. Thus, it covers the following:
- Architecture (15%) – In this topic, you need to know about various design principles utilized within an enterprise network, be able to analyze WLAN deployment design principles, as well as distinguish between Cloud and on-premises infrastructure deployments. Besides that, you are required to have knowledge of the Cisco SD-WAN solution working principles, Cisco SD-Access solution working principles, and concepts of wireless or wired QoS;
- Virtualization (10%) – Here, it is important to be able to explain device virtualization technologies, configure & validate data path virtualization technologies, as well as explain the concepts of network virtualization;
- Infrastructure (30%) – This area covers the details of Layer 2, Layer 3, Wireless, and IP Services;
- Network Assurance (10%) – To be able to answer the questions from this domain, you need to have the skills in diagnosing the network issues with the use of the tools, such as traceroute, SNMP, Syslogs, ping, debugs, and conditional debugs. Knowing how to configure & validate NetFlow, RSPAN/SPAN/ERSPAN, Flexible NetFlow, as well as IPSLA, NETCONF & RESTCONG, and device monitoring is very important as well;
- Security (20%) – This section will evaluate your skills in configuring & validating device access control, infrastructure security features, as well as wireless security attributes. You should also know about the REST API security and the elements of network security design;
- Automation (15%) – The last part covers the information about the common components & scripts of Python and the ways to construct a valid JSON encoded file. You need to have the ability to explain the high-level principles & benefits of data modeling languages such as YANG as well as APIs or vManage. If you are able to compare the agent orchestration tools and agentless orchestration tools, including Ansible, SaltStack, Puppet, and Chef, it will be a benefit for you.
2. Cisco CCIE Enterprise Wireless v1.0
As for the hands-on test, you need to have all the skills needed in this sphere and know the following details:
- Radio Frequency & Radio Standards (15%) – This topic includes the details of the IEEE 802.11 standards & protocols, Design/Site Survey, RF deployments indoor & outdoor, as well as the RF operational models;
- Enterprise Wired Campus (10%) – In this subject area, it is essential to have an understanding of L2 technologies for the support of wireless deployments, Control/Data plane technologies for the support of SD-Access wireless deployment, as well as IPv4 connectivity & IPv6 connectivity. You should have knowledge of the AP powering options, Multicast or QoS on switching infrastructures, and services for the support of wireless deployments;
- Enterprise Wireless Network (25%) – This section covers the information about WLC interfaces & ports, lightweight APIs, high availability resilience, and redundancy. Please also note that you need to have knowledge of the Wireless segmentation with groups & profiles, FlexConenct & Office Extend, and Mesh. Your knowledge base should also include Controller Mobility, WGB on COS APs and IOS, and all the models of controller deployment;
- Wireless Security & Identity Management (20%) – The secure control plane and management access, identity management, and Wireless security & network access policies are the details you should know about. This domain also includes the information about Guest management, Access Point switch-port authentication, TrustSec for the SD-Access Wireless, and Intrusion detection & prevention features;
- Wireless Business Applications & Services (20%) – Here, a potential candidate has to know about QoS policies, AVC & Netflow, Client roaming optimization, Mdns, and Wireless multi-cast;
- Automation, Analytics, & Assurance (10%) – The last objective will evaluate your knowledge of Prime infrastructure, Cisco DNA Center, and Cisco CMX/DNA Spaces.
Career Opportunities
Cisco CCIE Enterprise Wireless is a prestigious certification. The great path about this certificate is that it acts as a springboard to climb the career ladder faster. It validates your skills and knowledge of complex enterprise wireless solutions. The professionals with this certification have a competitive edge in the marketplace and can take up some advanced-level job roles. Some of them include a Senior Network Engineer, a Network Engineer, a Network Architect, a Solutions Architect, a Senior Solutions Architect, a Senior Systems Engineer, and a Consulting Engineer. The certified individuals can earn an average of $120,000 per annum. Some of the positions can even offer you about $148,000 per year.
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