Are you the one who is looking for an opportunity to start a career in networking with the focus on wireless networks? Well then, the CCNP Enterprise certification obtained by passing 350-401 and 300-425 exams can help you take the first step in the right direction. The Designing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks v1.0 (300-425 ENWLSD) is one of the six concentration tests provided by Cisco to validate your knowledge of wireless network design. Let’s find out more about it below.

Everything You Need to Know About the Cisco 300-425 Exam

The Cisco 300-425 exam is held for 90 minutes with questions of different formats ranging from MCQs to multiple response items. It is administered by Pearson VUE where you have the option of scheduling the test to take it in person or online.

When it comes to prerequisites, it is recommended you have some hands-on experience before attempting the exam. Furthermore, you should first complete the above-mentioned 350-401 ENCOR assessment to get a better understanding of the exam structure and to evaluate your overall understanding of core enterprise networking technologies since it is the easiest test in the CCNP pathway.

The results of 300-425 are presented in a score report as pass or fail which you will receive 48 hours after completing the exam. The score report consists of the breakout results for each of the test sections and the passing score. Once you have passed this exam alone, you receive a Specialist certification. In this case, it is the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Wireless Design certificate.

As the world of IT and networking is constantly evolving, both specialist-level and CCNP accreditations are only valid for three years. And to maintain your certification status you should recertify. With the Cisco Certification Tracking System, you can easily keep track of when you need to renew the certificate.

Exam Domains

When sitting for 300-425 exam, you will be tested on four knowledge areas. These are as follows:

• Wireless Site Survey. You will be expected to be aware of the design requirements and be ready to explain the effect of material attenuation on wireless design. Furthermore, you need to show you can perform and analyze surveys of pre- and post-deployment.
• Wired and Wireless Infrastructure. For this section, you will have to know the infrastructure requirements depending on the type of wireless architecture. In addition, you will be tested on your knowledge of types of wireless networks and their associated components as well as creating wireless bridging.
• Mobility. For this domain, you will need to demonstrate that you know how to create mobility groups based on their roles and validate tunnelling as well as perform the optimization of client roaming.
• Lastly, you will be tested on the topics related to WLAN High Availability. You will need to know how to create high availability for APs and controllers, including AP prioritization, SSO, fall-back, and more.

Training Resources Available for 300-425 Exam

The first step of preparing for 300-425 exam is to download the exam contents and assess what topics you are already familiar with and what you need to improve on. After you have organized the topics and arranged a thorough study plan the following resources will help you ace the test.

• Designing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks (ENWLSD) v1.1 course

  This training will guide you in creating Cisco wireless networks. You will gain thorough knowledge of designing concepts based on the scenario given and a complete understanding of the installation phase and performing post-deployment validation. This course can be taken in three ways, either eLearning or instructor-led that has an added option of virtual or classroom training. This is a great program as you will not only improve your skills and gain knowledge about Cisco wireless products but also earn 40 Continuing education (CE) credits toward recertification. However, before you take this course you should know the basics of networking therefore it is wise to take the Implementing Cisco Wireless Network Fundamentals course first.

• CCNP Enterprise Wireless Design ENWLSD 300-425 and Implementation ENWLSI 300-430 Official Cert Guide Premium Edition by Jerome Henry

  This study guide is available on Cisco Press and Amazon. Apart from the detailed explanation of the topics, it also contains full practice tests and in-depth tutorials to help you comprehend the concepts behind the questions. You will be able to check yourself with quizzes, train using the Pearson VUE software, and learn more about valuable tools and exam-taking strategies. All the important concepts like multicast, FlexConnect, wireless site survey, mobility, device hardening and many more are covered in this material.

• Latest CCNP Enterprise Designing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks ENWLSD Exam 300-425 Questions and Answers: Guide for Real Exam by Pass Exam

  This book is available on Amazon. If you need extra preparation for the test this is a good tool to exercise updated practice test questions. These samples were done by real users who were certified and verified all the answers. If there are certain topics you want to put more emphasis on before sitting for the exam, this book will help you navigate wireless networking and fill in any knowledge gaps you might have.

• Designing and Deploying 802.11 Wireless Networks: A Practical Guide to Implementing 802.11n and 802.11ac Wireless Networks For Enterprise-Based Applications by Jim Geier

  This book will explain the implementation process for Wireless Networks for Enterprise-Based Applications. While reading it, you will gain a better understanding of how to plan, deploy, and operate high-performance wireless networks. The guide has an added advantage since it is written in a practical approach and contains hands-on tasks to help you check your knowledge. By completing the book, you’ll know more about 802.11 standard, network support and deployment, infrastructure WLANs, and more.

• Cisco Wireless LAN Security by Krishna Sankar, Sri Sundaralingam, Darrin Miller, and Andrew Balinsky

  This book is written by engineers employed at Cisco and it will guide you on how to securely manage and operate WLANs. After reading this guide, you will have a better understanding of security-related issues for WLAN, the protocols that need to be implemented to prevent attacks, how to defend attacks by getting a sound knowledge of what tools to use to get past authentication and encryption mechanisms, and gain information about all types of authentication protocols.

Conclusion

Passing the Cisco 300-425 exam is an important step if you want to become a wireless design engineer. The journey to acing this test will not only help you understand designing enterprise networks but also aid in enhancing your performance when given a project, from understanding the requirements of the given task to creating solutions stage, while having the ability to balance cost, performance, and security. Using the resources listed above, you too can become an achiever!