Interview: Tom Carpenter
Author of Certified Wireless Technology Specialist Study Guide

Page 1 of 2     1  2 

Certified Wireless Technology Specialist Study Guide, McGraw-Hill, 2009 View Ch. 2: Radiofrequency Basics (PDF) Buy it now

If you're thinking about making the move to the wireless technology sector or if you're already there but perhaps need help solidifying your skills, the Certified Wireless Technology Specialist (CWTS) may be just what the career doctor ordered. The CWTS is an entry-level wireless certification that requires a single exam and offers a stepping off point to more advanced wireless designations.

Author Tom Carpenter has quite a bit of experience with wireless certifications, holding several of them himself including Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA), Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP), and of course CWTS. He's been tapped to author or coauthor several books on wireless certifications, including a study guide for CWTS that is fresh off the press.

Unlike many certification books we've encountered, Tom's book doesn't require its own trailer to haul around. In fact, it even includes an electronic version which weighs practically nothing! Nonetheless, his Certified Wireless Technology Specialist Study Guide, recently released by McGraw Hill, carries the full authority of Tom's wireless expertise and promises to cover 100% of what you need to know to pass the CWTS exam. We asked Tom about the ins and outs of CWTS certification, and of course about his book as well, and this is what he had to say:

GoCertify: How long have you been working with wireless technologies, and how did you come to write this book?

Tom Carpenter: I have been working with wireless networks since the late 1990s. I've been able to evolve with the industry and have been most interested in the recent advancements in wireless communications and security. The road to this book was a lengthy one, but the short answer is that I wrote the original Wireless# book for the CWNP program and this exam replaces that certification. Since I wrote the Wireless# book, I've also written the CWNA book and co-authored the CWSP book.

GoCertify: As the author of a Wireless# study guide as well, can you shed some light on why Wireless# was replaced with CWTS?

Tom Carpenter: The CWNP program felt that the Wireless# program was just too broad. It covered IrDA, Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID and WiMAX as well as 802.11. With this broad coverage, the technology coverage was an inch deep and a mile long. The end result was that, with the exception of 802.11, the student really didn't gain enough knowledge to effectively use the technologies. With the new focus only on 802.11, the student walks away from the CWTS certification process with enough knowledge to design, implement and maintain a small wireless network or to recommend wireless technologies for such networks.

GoCertify: The CWTS is billed as an entry-level wireless certification. Does an interested candidate need to have at least some basic networking knowledge before undertaking studying for the CWTS or can they start from scratch?

Tom Carpenter: If the candidate has the networking knowledge gained through acquiring the Network+ certification, that would help, but it is not required. I do my best to cover every topic in the book from the ground up so that an individual completely new to the IT industry can understand it.

GoCertify: For someone fairly new to wireless technologies, how long is it likely to take to prepare and become ready for the CWTS exam?

Tom Carpenter: I would say 3-6 months is a good time for someone completely new to wireless technologies. Those who are more technically inclined may accomplish the goal in as little as a month.

Page 1 of 2     1  2