User Credential Requirements - Nortel 2300 Series Configuration Manual

406 Configuring AAA for Network Users
SSID Name "Any"
In authentication rules for wireless access, you can specify the name any for the SSID. This value is a wildcard that
matches on any SSID string requested by the user.
For 802.1X and Web-based AAA rules that match on SSID any, WSS Software checks the RADIUS servers or local
database for the username (and password, if applicable) entered by the user. If the user information matches, WSS
Software grants access to the SSID requested by the user, regardless of which SSID name it is.
For MAC authentication rules that match on SSID any, WSS Software checks the RADIUS servers or local database for
the MAC address (and password, if applicable) of the user's device. If the address matches, WSS Software grants access
to the SSID requested by the user, regardless of which SSID name it is.
However, in a last-resort authentication rule for wireless access, if the SSID name in the authentication rule is any, WSS
Software checks the RADIUS servers or local database for username last-resort-any, exactly as spelled here. If checking
RADIUS, WSS Software also checks for a password. Access is granted only if this username (and password, if appli-
cable) is found. Otherwise, access is denied.
Last-Resort Processing
When a user without a username or password requests wireless access, WSS Software checks the configuration for a
last-resort authentication rule that matches on the SSID. If the configuration contains the rule, WSS Software checks the
local database for username last-resort-ssid, where ssid is the SSID requested by the user. The guest user is granted
access only if the database or RADIUS server group contains last-resort-ssid for the SSID requested by the user. Other-
wise, access is denied.
This processing of the last-resort username is different from 802.1X, MAC, or Web-based AAA, where WSS Software
checks for the exact username or MAC address (and password, if applicable) of the user. WSS Software does not append
the SSID to the username (or MAC address) for 802.1X, Web, or MAC authentication.

User Credential Requirements

The user credentials that WSS Software checks for on RADIUS servers or in the local database differ depending on the
type of authentication rule that matches on the SSID or wired access requested by the user.
• For a user to be successfully authenticated by an 802.1X or Web-based AAA rule, the username and password
entered by the user must be configured on the RADIUS servers used by the authentication rule or in the switch's
local database, if the local database is used by the rule.
• For a user to be successfully authenticated based on the MAC address of the user's device, the MAC address must
be configured on the RADIUS servers used by the authentication rule or in the switch's local database, if the local
database is used by the rule. If the MAC address is configured in the local database, no password is required.
However, since RADIUS requires a password, if the MAC address is on the RADIUS server, WSS Software checks
for a password. The default well-known password is Nortel but is configurable. (The same password applies to
last-resort users.)
• For a user to be successfully authenticated for last-resort access, the RADIUS severs or local database (whichever
method is used by the last-resort authentication rule), must contain a user named last-resort-wired (for wired
authentication access) or last-resort-ssid, where ssid is the SSID requested by the user. If the matching last-resort
user is configured in the local database, no password is required. However, since RADIUS requires a password, if
the matching last-resort user is on the RADIUS server, WSS Software checks for a password. The default
well-known password is Nortel but is configurable. (The same password applies to MAC users.)
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