Mac Authentication; Configuring Mac Authentication - Dell PowerConnect W-IAP3WN User Manual

9. Login to the network with the username and password specified used while configuring the RADIUS server in
step d.

MAC Authentication

Media Access Control (MAC) authentication is used to authenticate devices based on their physical MAC
addresses. It is an early form of filtering. MAC authentication requires that the MAC address of a machine must
match a manually defined list of addresses. This form of authentication does not scale past a handful of devices,
because it is difficult to maintain the list of MAC addresses. Additionally, it is easy to change the MAC address of
a station to match one on the accepted list. This spoofing is trivial to perform with built-in driver tools, and it
should not be relied upon to provide security.
MAC authentication can be used alone, but typically it is combined with other forms of authentication, such as
WEP authentication. Because MAC addresses are easily observed during transmission and easily changed on the
client, this form of authentication should be considered nothing more than a minor hurdle. Dell recommends
against the use of MAC-based authentication.

Configuring MAC Authentication

To enable MAC Authentication for a wireless network:
1. In the Network tab, click the network for which you want to enable MAC authentication. The edit link for the
network appears.
2. Click the edit link and navigate to the Security tab.
3. For a network with Personal or Open security level, select Enabled from the MAC Authentication drop-down
list.
4. Click OK to continue.
Figure 108
5. Click Next and then click Finish to apply the changes.
Dell PowerConnect W-Series Instant Access Point 6.1.3.4-3.1.0.0 | User Guide
Configuring MAC Authentication
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