StormWind Studios uses proprietary technologies to provide live, interactive IT training courses online in technologies such as Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, CompTIA, ITIL, AWS, cybersecurity, project management, and more. Our blog aims to share the goings-on at StormWind Studios, as well as industry news, blog posts, and some fun stuff, too.
Nathaniel Miller
The access point vs router vs extender choice is not a branding question. A router connects networks and usually runs DHCP and NAT. An access point bridges Wi-Fi clients onto that existing network over Ethernet. A range extender rebroadcasts Wi-Fi with no cable, and it typically cuts throughput by about 50%. Pick the wrong box […] Read More: Access Point vs Router vs Extender: Which One Do You Need?
Nathaniel Miller
If Wi-Fi is bad, it is rarely because someone bought a cheap radio. It is usually how the wireless access point was architected, placed, powered, and managed. An access point extends a wired network to Wi-Fi clients. There are three architectures: standalone, controller-based, and cloud-managed. Choosing the wrong one for your organization’s size is one […] Read More: What Is a Wireless Access Point? Types, Uses, and How They Work
Nathaniel Miller
For most people, CAPM vs PMP is not a preference question. It is an eligibility question. The PMP requires three to five years of documented project leadership. The CAPM requires none. Check which one you can actually sit, then decide which one you should. Both certifications come from PMI, the Project Management Institute. They are […] Read More: CAPM vs PMP: Which Project Management Certification Should You Start With?
Nathaniel Miller
PMI removed the 1,500-hour experience option from the CAPM in August 2024. The CAPM certification now requires a secondary degree and 23 contact hours of project management education. No project hours. That is the whole eligibility bar, and a lot of older guides still list the old path. The CAPM is PMI’s entry-level project management […] Read More: CAPM Certification in 2026: Requirements, Cost, and Is It Worth It?
Nathaniel Miller
A developer stands up an MCP server over a customer database on Friday afternoon. By Monday, an AI assistant can query live records from a chat window. The demo impresses leadership. Security finds out on Tuesday. That pattern is how enterprise MCP security becomes urgent: not because MCP is inherently unsafe, but because it makes […] Read More: Enterprise MCP Security: What IT Teams Should Know Before Connecting AI
Nathaniel Miller
A realistic PMP study plan for most candidates is 100 to 150 hours, or about 12 weeks at 10 to 12 hours a week around a full-time job. Experienced project managers with formal methodology behind them can come in lower. People who have led work without a shared vocabulary should plan higher. The PMP is […] Read More: How Long to Study for the PMP: A Realistic 12-Week Plan
Nathaniel Miller
PMI’s own salary research puts certified project managers roughly 30% ahead of their uncertified peers in the United States. That is the PMP salary headline. It is directionally useful, and it is not a promise that your offer letter moves 30% the week you pass. For an individual, “is the PMP worth it?” is about […] Read More: PMP Salary in 2026: What the Certification Is Actually Worth
Nathaniel Miller
PMP requirements in 2026 are three hard gates: education, documented project leadership experience, and 35 contact hours of formal training. Miss any one of them and PMI will not let you sit the exam, no matter how long you have been “the person who runs the project.” Most people who fail to get the PMP […] Read More: PMP Requirements in 2026: Do You Actually Qualify?
Nathaniel Miller
Your team already uses AI assistants for drafts, summaries, and quick research. The bottleneck shows up when someone asks the model to pull live data from SharePoint, query a SQL database, or trigger an action in a line-of-business app. Copy-paste works once. It does not scale across departments, vendors, or security reviews. That gap is […] Read More: What Is MCP (Model Context Protocol) and Why It Matters
Nathaniel Miller
PMI raised PMP exam fees on August 6, 2026. Members now pay $445. Non-members pay $675. Search for PMP certification cost and you usually get that one number. It is real, and it is incomplete. Membership, the required 35 contact hours of project management education, study materials, and the three-year renewal cycle typically push the […] Read More: PMP Certification Cost in 2026: Every Fee, Broken Down