Where the future lies for Wireless Pros

**zimbo** · #1 30-Jul-2005, 09:13 AM

Im appealling to mostly the "older" guys out there who have been through the rise of certification and the .com bubble burst but anyones ideas and opinions would be great... Im wondering what the future holds for people wanting to get into certs like CWNA and CWNP.. In the early 90's with the .com bubble everyone ran to get MCSE and become microsoft certified and it became the premier cert.. when the bubble burst we ended up with people who had "paper qualifications" and no jobs... today it seems cisco is leading us with the CCNA and other certs (CCIE) Why? because networks in todays world are wanted everywhere and thus pros to create, design and maintain them.. Enter wireless ... now where im living here in cyprus there are very very few companies with wireless LANs the technology hasnt reached its potential yet thus not many jobs(!!)? Whats the situation like up in the UK or the US or australia (if there any here???) surely there will be a boom in a few years in the demand for wireless pros because of companies moving away from wires to wireless and people will be rushing to become wireless certified?

**zimbo** · #2 06-Aug-2005, 09:12 PM

bump!!

no one share the same ideas hey by all means if you disagree its okay im only trying too plot my path in certs and im wanting other pros opinion...

**zimbo** · #3 07-Aug-2005, 11:52 PM

bump

**simongrahamuk** · #4 08-Aug-2005, 07:18 AM

I'd say that getting a wireless cert would definately be worth your while. Whilst it may not carry the same amount of weight that the MCSE or CCNA carries having something to show that you know what your doing always helps in the job market.
e.g. 'I have installed wireless networks' or 'I ahev installed wireless networks and am qualified with XYZ'.

**zimbo** · #5 08-Aug-2005, 08:44 AM

i agree there but my point is dont you think there will be a "gold rush" to go get CWNA when the demand increases more like what happened with MCSE in the 90's

**simongrahamuk** · #6 08-Aug-2005, 09:34 AM

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zimbo

i agree there but my point is dont you think there will be a "gold rush" to go get CWNA when the demand increases more like what happened with MCSE in the 90's

”

I don't think so.

More and more people are now going for the CCNA cert, so Cisco responed to that by increasing the passing score (I think it's currently 85%?) to ensure that those who do achieve the cert really know what they're doing. I think that the gold rush days of people going for a cert for a fast buck are now long gone, because the vendors want to keep their certs respectable they are making things harder, I think that the CWNA will be no different.

**zimbo** · #7 08-Aug-2005, 10:08 AM

im not looking at the value of the cert.... how many people are asking for wireless pro's? its one of the emerging sectors isnt it? well in a few years when everyone leaves wires and goes wireless?

**simongrahamuk** · #8 08-Aug-2005, 10:21 AM

Quote:

“

Originally Posted by zimbo

im not looking at the value of the cert.... how many people are asking for wireless pro's? its one of the emerging sectors isnt it? well in a few years when everyone leaves wires and goes wireless?

”

I think that the cert will hold some value. Regardless of weather the cert is in wires or wireless they both operate on the same underlying technologies, i.e. the OSI model. So getting the cert could be an advantage over simply the CCNA, as it will show that you have the knowledge of the underlying technology in addition to the wireless technologies, enabling you to be work on both wired and wireless networks.

**zimbo** · #9 08-Aug-2005, 10:46 AM

i see we both seem to be in the same progress in our carears... what degree you going for? Im also heading for MCDST next month and then MCSE and at the moment in doing a BTEC with the hope of coming to the UK next year to get my degree in networking..

**Phoenix** · #10 08-Aug-2005, 10:59 AM

The boom wont happen like it did in the 90s, in countries like the US and the UK where the wired infrastructure is already present, wireless is nothing more than a convienience

in africa and other developing regions, wireless is a viable alternative to building that infrastructure, try and get a land line in some african countries and you will have a hard time and a long wait, but a cell phone is 20 quid a month unlimited, why? because its far easier, and far cheaper to deploy a wireless infrastructure than a wired one

Wireless certs will indeed hold a place, but with the advent of high speed, long range products such as WiMAX the need of certified professionals will decrease
DECREASE? but why?
Well, you could blanket the entire country with a WiMAX signal with a thousand or less towers hardly requiring the man power of the ISPs wired infrastructure

but when, and how much, all this effects the cert market is debatable, its also likely that the likes of cisco will increase their wireless cert portfolio and use thier muscle to make it the 'de facto' rather than the other brands certifications

CCWNA anyone? lol

**simongrahamuk** · #11 08-Aug-2005, 11:20 AM

Quote:

“

Originally Posted by zimbo

i see we both seem to be in the same progress in our carears... what degree you going for? Im also heading for MCDST next month and then MCSE and at the moment in doing a BTEC with the hope of coming to the UK next year to get my degree in networking..

”

I'm currently doing a FdSc in IT Networking. I decided to go for this as it was the only course my employers would part fund.

The course incorporates the MCSA 2003 Syllabus, CCNA 3.0 Syllabus, A+, and Server + Syllabuses, as well as loads of academic stuff.

Upon completion of the degree (I'm in last year) I'll either go back to doing certs or go on further with academic studies, depending on what my employer wants. However working in a school they only understand academic qualifications, certs mean nothing to them, so I'll prob go on further up the academic route.

**zimbo** · #12 08-Aug-2005, 11:37 AM

Quote:

“

Originally Posted by simongrahamuk

The course incorporates the MCSA 2003 Syllabus, CCNA 3.0 Syllabus, A+, and Server + Syllabuses, as well as loads of academic stuff.

Upon completion of the degree (I'm in last year) I'll either go back to doing certs or go on further with academic studies, depending on what my employer wants. However working in a school they only understand academic qualifications, certs mean nothing to them, so I'll prob go on further up the academic route.

”

which uni is this??

@Phoenix sorry to burst the africa bubble but they just screwed down there... im a zimbabwean so i know what im talking about wireless apart from south africa cities (cape town and j'burg) there is nothing trust me... as for the CISCO CERTIFIED WIRELESS NETWORK ANDMIN i think its coming too!!

**simongrahamuk** · #13 08-Aug-2005, 12:06 PM

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zimbo

which uni is this??

”

University of Sunderland

Here is the link to the Course Info: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk

Do a key word search for IT Networking under the computing subject.

**zimbo** · #14 08-Aug-2005, 12:16 PM

well after the FdSc (3 years) how do you get the B.Sc? Final Year?

**Phoenix** · #15 08-Aug-2005, 12:28 PM

@Zimbo
There was no bubble to burst mate, I know full well there is nothing yet
I do however know that implementing wireless and cell based solutions there is alot more feasable and cost effective than deploying lines to every house, my experiance is mainly in west africa, however I do not see this situation as being different in other countries

the costs involved in establishing say, a wireless ISP are minimal compared to what it would cost to get a fully fledged POTS based ISP on the go, especially with broadband speeds

a few wireless points and a single pipe and you have covered an entire city, especially with custom firmware

hope that clears up what I was getting at