Configuration; Ieee 802.1X Overview; System Architecture - 3Com 400 Family Configuration Manual

11

IEEE 802.1X Overview

802.1X System
Architecture
802.1X C
ONFIGURATION
This chapter covers the following topics:
IEEE 802.1X Overview
■
Configuring 802.1X
■
AAA and RADIUS Protocol Configuration
■
For information on setting up a RADIUS server and RADIUS client refer to
Appendix B.
For details on how to authenticate the Switch 4500 with a Cisco Secure ACS
server with TACACS+, refer to
IEEE 802.1X (hereinafter simplified as 802.1X) is a port-based network access
control protocol that is used as the standard for LAN user access authentication.
In the LANs complying with the IEEE 802 standards, the user can access the
devices and share the resources in the LAN through connecting the LAN access
control device like the LAN Switch. However, in telecom access, commercial LAN
(a typical example is the LAN in the office building) and mobile office and so on,
the LAN providers generally hope to control the user's access. In these cases, the
requirement on the above-mentioned "Port Based Network Access Control"
originates.
As the name implies, "Port Based Network Access Control" means to authenticate
and control all the accessed devices on the port of LAN access control device. If
the user's device connected to the port can pass the authentication, the user can
access the resources in the LAN. Otherwise, the user cannot access the resources
in the LAN. It equals that the user is physically disconnected.
802.1X defines port based network access control protocol and only defines the
point-to-point connection between the access device and the access port. The
port can be either physical or logical. The typical application environment is as
follows: Each physical port of the LAN Switch only connects to one user
workstation (based on the physical port) and the wireless LAN access environment
defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard (based on the logical port), etc.
The system using the 802.1X is the typical C/S (Client/Server) system architecture.
It contains three entities, which are illustrated in the following figure: Supplicant
System (User), Authenticator System and Authentication Server System.
The LAN access control device needs to provide the Authenticator System of
802.1X. The devices at the user side such as the computers need to be installed
with the 802.1X client Supplicant (User) software, for example, the 802.1X client
Appendix C.