Certified Wireless Design Professional (CWDP) Practice Exam

In a Voice over WLAN (VoWLAN) design, centralized data forwarding refers to the model where all data traffic is processed centrally by the WLAN controller. This approach streamlines the handling of data, ensuring that all voice and data packets from wireless access points (APs) are directed to a single point — the controller.

This centralization offers several benefits, particularly in managing voice traffic. By processing all data at the controller, the design can implement consistent quality of service (QoS) policies that are critical for maintaining the performance of voice calls. The controller can also apply network-wide settings and make efficient use of resources, allowing for better control over network management tasks such as security, load balancing, and monitoring.

In contrast, if data traffic were processed locally at each access point, it could lead to varied performance due to lack of centralized control. Similarly, if data were shared among multiple controllers, it would complicate management and might introduce latency due to inter-controller communication. Lastly, forwarding handled by a layer-2 switch would not utilize the full advantages of a WLAN controller's capabilities, particularly in handling VoWLAN’s specific requirements for quality and security.

Thus, the essence of centralized data forwarding in VoWLAN is the improved management