Authentication Server; Authenticator Overview - Cisco Small Business 200 Series Administration Manual

20
Security: 802.1X Authentication

Authenticator Overview

Authentication Server

An authentication server performs the actual authentication of the client. The authentication server for the
device is a RADIUS authentication server with EAP extensions.
Open Access
The Open (Monitoring) Access feature aids in separating real authentication failures from failures caused by
mis-configuration and/or lack of resources, in an 802.1x environment.
Open Access helps system administrators understand the configuration problems of hosts connecting to
the network, monitors bad situations and enables these problems to be fixed.
When Open Access is enabled on an interface, the switch treats all failures received from a RADIUS server
as successes and allows access to the network for stations connected to interfaces regardless of
authentication results.
Open Access changes the normal behavior of blocking traffic on a authentication-enabled port until
authentication and authorization are successfully performed. The default behavior of authentication is still to
block all traffic except Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPoL). However, Open Access
provides the administrator with the option of providing unrestricted access to all traffic, even though
authentication (802.1X-Based, MAC-Based, and/or WEB-Based) is enabled.
When RADIUS accounting is enabled, you can log authentication attempts and gain visibility of who and
what is connecting to your network with an audit trail.
All of this is accomplished with no impact on end users or on network-attached hosts. Open Access can be
activated in the 802.1X Port Authentication page.
Authenticator Overview
Port Administrative Authentication States
The port administrative state determines whether the client is granted access to the network.
The port administrative state can be configured in the Security > 802.1X > Port Authentication page.
Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switch Administration Guide 269