We are proud to announce that we have another CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator) at MetaGeek! While Caitlyn wears a lot of hats at MetaGeek, she splits her time between being a Quality Assurance intern for us with working on her Computer Science degree.

We are huge fans of the CWNP program (Certified Wireless Network Professional) and all of the certifications and Wi-Fi knowledge that the program offers. As a company, 80 percent of us have at least one CWNP certification!

Caitlyn decided to use her spring break to attend a CWNA boot camp by Robert Bartz at Eight-O-Two Technologies. Of course, she studied hard and passed the test with flying colors (we knew she would). We interviewed her about her experience and found how exactly how it all went. Check it out after the break!

What is your exact job at MetaGeek right now?

I’m doing quality assurance, some customer service, and some sales.

What are you studying in school?

Computer Science with a minor in Cyber Security.

How did you end up going to the CWNA boot camp?

When I started working here, I noticed that nearly every single person has a CWNA certification. I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty cool! I have spring break coming up, I should use that to get certified.”

You did it over spring break, on your time off?

Yes. I learned so much! I feel so much better, being able to answer questions when talking to customers, and knowing exactly what is going on.

What’s the most mind-blowing thing that you learned?

That Wi-Fi works at all. With all of the noise and back-and-forth communication, it’s amazing that it works.

What did you think of Robert Bartz and his teaching style?

I thought he was an excellent teacher who knew his stuff. He taught us all of it, the technology and everything. He didn’t just teach us to pass the test, he wanted us to understand exactly what was happening.

Did you spend time studying the CWNA study guide itself?

Yes! When we got out of class each day, I would go to my hotel room and read about what we’d learned. There is a ton of information in the book.

Do you think you’ll refer back to the CWNA study guide?

Yes. I’m trying to finish reading it right now. 800 pages wasn’t quite doable in the week that I was there.

Was there any security stuff in the CWNA that you thought was interesting?

Yes! I’ve taken a cryptology class, and we talked about what you need to do to break this stuff. When Robert explained how WEP works, I was like, “I could break that!”

How nervous were you about the test?

Insanely nervous. The night before, I dreamed that I was reading the study guide to someone, tracing my finger along the page as I read, but I woke up and was sitting up in bed, tracing my finger along my pillow as if I was reading it.

Do you feel that the CWNA taught you a lot about Wi-Fi?

Oh yes. I was terrified to log into the hotel Wi-Fi, which was just open with a captive portal, and no encryption. I can’t do it!

Do you think you’ll ever pursue another CWNP certification?

I hope so! I’d like to keep it up-to-date. I think the CWSP (Certified Wireless Security Professional) would be super interesting.

Congratulations on achieving your CWNA certification Caitlyn; we couldn’t be more proud of you!