Benefits Of Radius Authentication; How Radius Authentication Works - 3Com SuperStack 3 3812 Implementation Manual

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HAPTER AKING
Benefits of RADIUS
Authentication
RADIUS
How
Authentication
Works
Y N S
OUR ETWORK ECURE
Day-to-day network maintenance can become a substantial overhead.
For example, regularly changing the administrative password on a
manageable network device is a commonplace security measure. If the
local Switch database is enabled, the network administrator must have
local access to each Switch to securely change user name and password
information. This can be time consuming, tedious and often results in bad
configurations and lapses in security.
RADIUS authentication provides centralized, secure access and removes
the need to physically visit each network device. Changes to user names
and passwords require only a single action on the RADIUS database and
are reflected immediately.
Your Switch is fully compliant with the industry standard RADIUS
protocol. For further information about RADIUS, see
on page 83.
When RADIUS authentication of Switch Management Login is enabled,
the Switch obtains the user's name and password and securely sends the
information to the RADIUS server. The information is authenticated by the
server and a valid user is allowed to login to the Switch. An invalid user
will receive a reject response and is not allowed to login to the Switch.
This process is shown in
Figure 19 RADIUS Authentication Operation
Management
Device
Figure 19.
1. User name and
password submitted
4. User logs in or
denied access
3. Accept or
reject response
"What is RADIUS?"
Switch
2. Username and
password encrypted
RADIUS Server