2020 in Review

Admin • December 22, 2020

Wow! Did That Just Happen?!

What a doozy! 2020 has been a horrendously difficult year for everyone. Just as we were expecting great things to happen: to attend many conferences; bring on many new clients; and initiate new trainings, COVID-19 hit us all.

The great thing is that, if you are reading this, you are still here. So are we. We count our lucky stars because many companies in our training industry are no longer in existence. From a personal perspective, our team remains intact as well. For that, we are ever grateful. For those who have experienced loss in 2020, please accept our deepest condolences.

In 2020, we continued our co-sponsorship of the WLA – the Wireless LAN Association, which is an association for professional wireless engineers. We support its mission of providing an amazing service in the Wireless Network community. The Association is in process of creating a set of peer-reviewed standards which is backed by some of the biggest names in the industry. Additionally, it aims to create an open a dialog between the regulators and manufacturers of wireless networking equipment and the “boots on the ground” – the engineers making everything work in harmony. (A few questions have arisen over the past year and we would like to take this opportunity to clear up any misconception: although our CEO, Rie Vainstein, serves WLA as its CEO, on a voluntary basis, NC-Expert has no other affiliation with WLA. NC-Expert does not own any part the Wireless LAN Association.)

Moving Quickly to Meet Demand

As you would expect, because of COVID, we had to move quickly to shift all our training to online platforms. This has worked really well, and our students are very happy with the results. Admittedly online training, albeit live, doesn’t quite have the same effect as in-person / in-classroom training – for instance, the instructors cannot look the student in the face and see the “Aha!” moment when the student understands a concept – but, using video helps a bit.

Our vendors, CompTIA, CWNP, Cisco, etc., all moved swiftly, too. They reformatted their exams to enable PearsonVUE to incorporate them into its “test from home” program. Prior to COVID, the only option available to students was to attend a PearsonVUE location in person, to sit the respective exams. Now the exams can all be taken from the comfort of your own homes. We are grateful to the vendors for jumping into action, for the benefit of the students, and getting the problems resolved so quickly.

Cisco renewed its entire portfolio in February, which caused some confusion, but the questions were eventually resolved, and our students are happily studying the updated materials. We have continued to spend a good portion of our year working diligently with Cisco (cisco.com), to author even more of its new portfolio of classes. We are extremely excited to see the various release dates coming closer and look forward to teaching many more students and helping them progress in their chosen careers!

We are looking forward to an exciting 2021, an end to the pandemic, and expect to create more innovations to help our students achieve their knowledge goals.

May we wish you a Healthy, Successful, and Happy New Year!

…

About NC-Expert

NC-Expert is a privately-held California corporation and is well established within the Wireless, Security, and Collaboration industry certification training, courseware development, and consulting markets.

Led by its Founder and CEO, Rie Vainstein, NC-Expert has won numerous private contracts with Fortune level companies around the world. These customers have depended on NC-Expert to train, advise, and mentor their staff.

If you are looking for the best in IT Network Training then call us today at (855) 941-2121 or contact us by email today.

The post 2020 in Review appeared first on NC Expert.

NC-Expert Blog

Troubleshooting Wireless Networks with Ekahau

By Phil Morgan • March 13, 2025
Troubleshooting Wireless Networks with Ekahau: A Professional Engineer’s Guide Wireless networks have become the backbone of modern business infrastructure. From office environments to large-scale enterprises, ensuring a seamless wireless experience is essential for productivity. However, despite advancements in Wi-Fi technology, network performance issues often arise, ranging from signal interference and dead zones to capacity overloads and channel mismanagement. To tackle these issues efficiently, professional engineers rely on powerful tools. One such tool, Ekahau AI Pro, has become a gold standard in the wireless industry for troubleshooting and optimizing Wi-Fi networks. This blog delves into troubleshooting wireless networks using Ekahau tools, providing practical examples and technical insights to guide professional engineers in improving network performance.

Post-Quantum Cryptography: The Future of Digital Security?

By Rie Vainstein • March 3, 2025
Futureproofing Our Security In our increasingly connected world, the security of digital information has never been more critical. From banking transactions to private communications, our data is constantly transmitted and stored across the internet. The current systems that protect this data rely on cryptography, a branch of mathematics that helps keep information secure by encoding it in ways that are difficult to decode without the proper key. However, with the rise of quantum computers, traditional cryptography is facing new and significant threats. This is where Post-Quantum Cryptography comes into play. What is Post-Quantum Cryptography? Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) [1] refers to cryptographic algorithms that are specifically designed to be secure against the power of quantum computers. Quantum computers, once they become practical, will be capable of solving complex mathematical problems much faster than classical computers. This will render many of the encryption methods we rely on today [such as RSA (Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman – initials of the inventors) and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography)] vulnerable to attack. Quantum computers operate on quantum bits, or “qubits”, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously, unlike classical bits that are either a zer (0) or one (1). This allows quantum computers to perform certain calculations exponentially faster than classical computers. For example, in a matter of seconds, a quantum computer could potentially break an RSA key, which is considered secure by today’s standards. As quantum computing technology advances, the need for PQC becomes even more urgent.

Designing a Wi-Fi Network

By Phil Morgan • February 27, 2025
Designing a Wi-Fi Network This is the first in a series of blogs on Wi-Fi operation, design, and troubleshooting. Designing a Wi-Fi network is much easier if you have the right procedures and tools in place. First you must collect data about the network: What are the requirements of the network? What is the goal of the new network? What is it meant to achieve? Are there any constraints you have to overcome? Next you have to decide what wireless vendor is being used? One of the most important things to get is an accurate map (or plan) of the site and the various floors.
Share by: