Foreword

As I think of an opening for this book, one single thought springs to mind: The wait is over. That thought puts a big smile on my face. It’s been a long, long time since we last had a CCIE Wireless book. Back in the year 2012, 802.11n was the prevalent wireless technology. Since then, nearly 7 years have passed, and our wireless world has evolved enormously. We now have a ratified 802.11ac and “ax” is almost around the corner, not to mention WPAv3. Wi-Fi (along with coffee) forms a definitive part of that extremely important list of basic human needs, and who could argue otherwise? Wi-Fi has long become the de facto access layer—at home, at the office, and on the move. In an era where we are constantly connected, wireless is, literally, everywhere.

The CCIE Wireless itself, as a certification, has undergone a couple of updates over the past few years:

• v2.0 was released on November 18, 2011, shortly before the previous CCIEW book was released (on April 12, 2012).

• v3.0 was released on September 14, 2015.

• v3.1 release was introduced on November 8, 2017.

The updates reflect the changes that we have seen over the past few years in our corporate networks, where we no longer work with ACS, WCS, or even Converged Access, but with ISE, PI, CMX, and APIs, while “Automation,” “Network Programmability,” “DNA,” and “Intent” are the new buzzwords that we hear every day, and that we know we will have to become accustomed to working with sooner or later. All these changes have been and continue to be profound. They put extra pressure on the wireless professional but they have also been welcomed, because they have enabled us to build more robust, secure, and sophisticated wireless networks while creating a more enjoyable and enhanced user experience.

But having a new CCIE Wireless book out is not the only reason why this book puts a big smile on my face. I had the great, great privilege of hand picking the authors who put together this content and, knowing who they are, I had great expectations for the book. To say that the team delivered above and beyond my expectations wouldn’t be enough; as I read through each chapter, that big smile kept spreading across my face, and I am sure you will have the very same feeling as you go through the content. I am indebted to each one of you for your contribution and, indeed, I think that it would be fair to say that this could be extended to the bigger wireless community.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to say a big thank you to Sam Clements for being the technical editor. He is a friend, a key contributor to the CCIE Wireless program, and a credit to the wireless community.

I hope you enjoy the book and that you find it an excellent first step into your CCIE Wireless journey!

Santiago Lopez, CCIE Wireless No. 46087

CCIE Wireless Program Manager

Learning@Cisco

August 2018