Understanding How Web-Based Proxy Authentication Works; Device Roles - Cisco WS-C6506 Software Manual

Understanding How Web-Based Proxy Authentication Works

This chapter consists of these sections:
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Understanding How Web-Based Proxy Authentication Works
The Catalyst 6500 series switch provides web-based proxy authentication in cases where the network
client does not have IEEE 802.1X host support. Web-based proxy authentication is authentication
through a standard web-based interface (HTTP/HTTPS) of the front-end systems for client identity and
credential input.
With 802.1X port-based authentication, a supplicant is required to provide access to the LAN and switch
services and respond to requests from the switch.
802.1X uses the term supplicant for client or host. In this publication, we use host instead of supplicant
Note
because host is used in the Catalyst 6500 series CLI syntax.
Web-based proxy authentication supports full 802.1X authentication and provides support for
nonhost-capable clients.
See the "Configuring 802.1X Authentication" chapter for 802.1X authentication information.
These sections describe how web-based proxy authentication works:
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Device Roles

Web-based proxy authentication provides authentication through a standard web-based interface as shown
in Figure
Figure 42-1
(supplicant)
Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Software Configuration Guide—Release 8.7
42-2
Understanding How Web-Based Proxy Authentication Works, page 42-2
Interaction with Other Features, page 42-7
Default Web-Based Proxy Authentication Configuration, page 42-8
Web-Based Authentication Guidelines and Restrictions, page 42-8
Configuring Web-Based Proxy Authentication, page 42-9
Device Roles, page 42-2
Authentication Initiation and Message Exchange, page 42-3
42-1.
Device-integrated Web-Based Proxy Authentication
Host
HTTP.HTTPS
External Server Host
Login HTML page
HTTP
RADIUS
Catalyst switch
(NAD)
Chapter 42 Configuring Web-Based Proxy Authentication
Authentication server
(RADIUS)
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