Wireless Security & Troubleshooting Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real CWS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Wireless Security & Troubleshooting Techniques flashcards as text
Which troubleshooting step BEST isolates whether a wireless performance problem is caused by RF interference versus AP configuration?
Answer: Connect the same client to the AP via Ethernet and compare throughput
Comparing wired vs. wireless throughput from the same client and AP location isolates whether the issue is in the RF medium or the AP/network configuration.
What does a high 'retry rate' in an AP's statistics indicate?
Answer: Poor RF conditions or interference causing frame retransmissions
A high retry rate means the AP or client is frequently retransmitting frames, which typically points to RF issues such as low SNR or interference.
A WLAN client receives an IP via DHCP but cannot reach the internet. Other wireless clients on the same SSID work fine. What is the FIRST thing to check?
Answer: The client's IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS settings
Verifying the client's IP configuration ensures it received correct network parameters; a misconfigured DHCP scope or static IP conflict could affect only that client.
Which attack involves the attacker capturing the WPA2 four-way handshake and then running an offline dictionary attack?
Answer: PSK brute-force via captured handshake
By capturing the four-way handshake, an attacker can test pre-shared key candidates offline without needing to stay on the network.
KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attack) targets which phase of the WPA2 connection process?
Answer: The four-way handshake nonce reinstallation
KRACK manipulates retransmissions in the four-way handshake to force nonce reuse, weakening the encryption key.
A CWS technician needs to verify which channels nearby APs are using to minimize co-channel interference. Which tool is MOST appropriate?
Answer: Wi-Fi analyzer application or spectrum analyzer
A Wi-Fi analyzer or spectrum analyzer displays nearby SSIDs, their channels, and signal strengths, enabling channel planning to avoid co-channel interference.
What is the purpose of SSID segmentation combined with VLAN tagging in a secure enterprise WLAN?
Answer: To separate traffic from different user groups into isolated Layer 2 network segments
Mapping each SSID to a separate VLAN ensures that employee, guest, and IoT traffic remain isolated at Layer 2, reducing lateral movement risk.