Timers Used In 802.1X - 3Com WX3000 Series Operation Manual

Figure 1-9 802.1x authentication procedure (in EAP terminating mode)
Supplicant
system
PAE
EAP- Request /Identity
EAP- Response /Identity
EAP- Request / MD5 Challenge
EAP- Response /MD5 Challenge
Handshake request
[EAP- Request /Identity]
Handshake response
[EAP- Response /Identity]
The authentication procedure in EAP terminating mode is the same as that in the EAP relay mode
except that the randomly-generated key in the EAP terminating mode is generated by the device, and
that it is the device that sends the user name, the randomly-generated key, and the supplicant
system-encrypted password to the RADIUS server for further authentication.

Timers Used in 802.1x

In 802.1 x authentication, the following timers are used to ensure that the supplicant system, the device,
and the RADIUS server interact in an orderly way.
Handshake timer (handshake-period). This timer sets the handshake-period and is triggered after
a supplicant system passes the authentication. It sets the interval for the device to send handshake
request packets to online users. You can set the number of retries by using the dot1x retry
command. An online user will be considered offline when the device has not received any response
packets after a certain number of handshake request transmission retries.
Quiet-period timer (quiet-period). This timer sets the quiet-period. When a supplicant system fails
to pass the authentication, the device quiets for the set period (set by the quiet-period timer) before
it processes another authentication request re-initiated by the supplicant system. During this quiet
period, the device does not perform any 802.1x authentication-related actions for the supplicant
system.
Re-authentication timer (reauth-period). The device will initiate 802.1x re-authentication at the
interval set by the re-authentication timer.
EAPOL
Authenticator
system PAE
EAPOL - Start
( CHAP- Response /MD5 Challenge)
EAP- Success
Port
authorized
......
EAPOL - Logoff
Port
unauthorized
RADIUS
RADIUS server
RADIUS Access-Request
RADIUS Access - Accept
( CHAP - Success )
Handshake timer
1-8