CWISA-103 Certified Wireless IoT Solutions Administrator(2025 Edition) Question and Answers

Overlay vs. Integrated Monitoring:

Overlay: A separate monitoring system independent of the primary wireless infrastructure.

Integrated: Monitoring functions built into wireless access points or controllers.

Overlay Advantage: Since the overlay system is separate, it doesn't add overhead or complexity to the core network, avoiding potential disruption of wireless services.

SSL/TLS Secures Web Traffic: HTTPS builds upon HTTP, adding the encryption provided by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or its successor, Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Other Protocols Have Different Purposes:

IPSec: Secures IP traffic at a network level, can be used alongside TLS.

SNMPv3: Management protocol, offers security features, but not the primary mechanism in HTTPS.

SSH: Secure remote shell, unrelated to web data encryption.

Attenuation: Describes the progressive loss of signal strength as it travels through a medium (like air, cables, walls). It's caused by factors like absorption, distance, and obstacles.

Other Phenomena:

Diffraction: Bending of waves around obstacles.

Reflection: Waves bouncing off surfaces.

**Scattering: ** Waves dispersing in multiple directions.

References

Attenuation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attenuation

IIoT Environments: Industrial IoT (IIoT) often involves deployment in harsh environments (factories, plants, outdoor sites) with:

Extreme temperatures

Dust & Vibrations

Exposure to chemicals or moisture

Ruggedization: IIoT devices are designed to withstand these conditions, ensuring reliability and longevity.

References

IIoT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Internet_of_things

Rugged Devices: Articles on ruggedized electronics will emphasize their importance in industrial settings.

Outsourcing Knowledge Transfer: When outsourcing implementation, the service provider has firsthand knowledge of system setup and configuration. Clear documentation ensures this knowledge remains accessible to you after the project is complete.

Ongoing Support: While paid/free support options influence long-term maintenance, they won't substitute missing documentation about the specific setup.

Reducing Future Vendor Reliance: Detailed documentation helps mitigate over-reliance on the service provider for minor changes and troubleshooting, giving you more long-term autonomy.

Proof of Concept: A POC typically happens before outsourcing, and focuses on validating the solution's feasibility, not ensuring smooth knowledge transfer thereafter.

PoE Splitter: A PoE splitter separates power and data from a PoE-enabled Ethernet cable, allowing the powering of non-PoE devices.

Other PoE Devices:

PoE Injector: Adds power to non-PoE Ethernet cable.

PoE Switch: Provides power directly through its ports.

WWAN (Wide-Area Wireless Network): WWANs provide connectivity over extensive geographic areas, typically covering regions or even entire countries.

Cellular Technology: WWANs often rely on cellular networks (3G, 4G, 5G) offered by mobile carriers.

References

WWAN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_wide_area_network

Mesh Connectivity Depends on Signal: Mesh nodes relay data for each other. Weak signal strength between nodes can disrupt connectivity throughout the network.

Troubleshooting Signal Issues: Physically relocating affected nodes can improve their ability to form stable connections with other nodes in the mesh.

Why Other Options May Not Help:

Separate Mesh: Splits the network, not solving the root connectivity issue

Output Power: May help marginally, but significant improvement is typically achieved through repositioning.

Security Settings: Unlikely to cause connectivity issues between properly configured nodes in the same mesh.

KPI alignment: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) define success metrics for the wireless IoT solution (e.g., uptime, device responsiveness, data accuracy). Continuous monitoring tracks performance against these KPIs.

Meeting Business Needs: Monitoring ensures the solution delivers the intended value. Are response times fast enough? Are business processes supported effectively?

Proactive maintenance: Monitoring can reveal performance issues before they become critical failures, allowing for proactive fixes.

Optimization: Monitoring data over time helps identify areas for fine-tuning the solution to further align with business requirements.

References

Wireless IoT monitoring tools: Vendor documentation or articles on specific tools and the KPIs they can track.

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library): Frameworks emphasizing monitoring and continuous improvement.

IETF's Focus: The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) primarily develops and standardizes internet protocols operating at the Network Layer (Layer 3) and above in the OSI model.

Key Protocols: Some prominent IETF-developed protocols include:

IP (Internet Protocol): Foundation of internet addressing and routing.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): Reliable, connection-oriented data transport.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol): Connectionless, best-effort data transport.

DNS (Domain Name System): Translates domain names into IP addresses.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): Web communication.

References

IETF Website: https://www.ietf.org/

OSI Model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model

Security by Design: Security should be a fundamental consideration from the initial planning stages of any wireless implementation. This ensures:

Risk Assessment: Identifying potential vulnerabilities early on.

Security Controls: Choosing appropriate encryption, authentication, and access control mechanisms.

Integration: Security measures are seamlessly woven into the system's architecture, not retrofitted later, which can be less effective.

Key Modulation Differences:

ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying): Digital data is represented by changes in the amplitude (strength) of a carrier wave.

FSK (Frequency Shift Keying): Digital data is represented by changes in the frequency of a carrier wave.

References

ASK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplitude-shift_keying

FSK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency-shift_keying

QAM Constellations: QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) uses a constellation diagram where points represent unique combinations of amplitude and phase.

Bits per Symbol: The number in QAM-XX indicates the number of points:

QAM-16: 16 points = 2^4 = 4 bits per symbol

QAM-64: 64 points = 2^6 = 6 bits per symbol

Higher Data Rates: More points in the constellation enable transmitting more bits per symbol, leading to higher data rates at the same bandwidth.

References

QAM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrature_amplitude_modulation

60GHz Absorption: The 60GHz band experiences significant signal attenuation due to absorption by oxygen molecules in the atmosphere. This severely restricts the usable range of wireless systems operating in this frequency.

Why Other Options Don't Apply:

Atmospheric Scattering: Impacts longer wavelength transmissions, less significant at 60GHz.

Solar Radiation: Can cause interference on some frequencies, but not a primary range limitation at 60GHz.

Rain Fade: Primarily affects higher frequencies (above 10GHz), but its impact is less severe than oxygen absorption at 60GHz.

Consumer Smart Devices Limitation: Many consumer-oriented smart devices are designed for simplicity and cost-effectiveness, leading to reliance on the crowded 2.4 GHz band.

Consequences:

High Interference: Increased potential for interference from Wi-Fi and other 2.4 GHz devices.

Limited scalability: Performance and reliability may degrade in busy wireless environments.

Customization and Integrations: The presence of APIs often suggests a system is integrated with other platforms or has custom-built elements.

Understanding Dependencies: Documenting used APIs helps clarify how different parts of the system interact and where potential issues might arise.

Troubleshooting Efficiency: Detailed API documentation aids in resolving problems, allowing staff to assess interconnected systems effectively.

Knowledge transfer: Future support teams won't have to reverse-engineer the system; documentation ensures smooth handover and understanding.

Firmware Definition: Firmware is a type of software embedded in hardware devices. It provides low-level instructions that control the basic operations and initialization of the device.

ROM Storage: Firmware is typically stored in Read-Only Memory (ROM) or other forms of non-volatile memory, meaning it persists even when the device is powered off.

Functions:

Booting: Initiates the hardware and loads the operating system.

Hardware Control: Provides an interface between the hardware and the operating system.

BIOS: The firmware on PCs is often referred to as BIOS (Basic Input/Output System).

References

Firmware Explanation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmware

ROM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read-only_memory