ZyXEL Communications P-2612HNU-Fx Support Notes page 40

The IEEE 802.1x authentication is a client-server architecture delivered with the
EAPOL (Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN). The authentication server
authenticates each client connected to an Access Point (for Wireless LAN) or switch
port (for Ethernet) before accessing any services offered by the Wireless AP. The
802.1x contains tree major components:
1. Authenticator:
The device (i.e. Wireless AP) facilitates the authentication for supplicant
(Wireless client) attached on the Wireless network. Authenticator controls the
physical access to the network based on the authentication status of client. The
authenticator acts as an intermediary (proxy) between the client and authentication
server (i.e. RADIUS server), requesting the identity information from the client,
verifying that information with the authentication server and relaying a response to
the client.
2. Supplicant:
The station (i.e. Wireless client) is being authenticated by an authenticator
attached on the Wireless network. The supplicant requests access to the LAN
services and responds to the requests from the authenticator. The station must be
running the 802.1x-compliant client software, such as that offered in the Microsoft
Windows XP operating system, Meeting House AEGIS 802.1x client and Odyssey
802.1x client.
3. Authentication Server:
The device (i.e. RADIUS server) provides an authentication service to an
authenticator. This service determines, from the credentials provided by the
supplicant, whether the supplicant is authorized to access the services provided by
the authenticator. The authentication server performs the actual authentication of
client. It validates the identity of the supplicant. Because the authenticator acts as
the proxy, the authentication service is transparent to the supplicant.
Some Wireless AP (i.e. ZyXEL Wireless AP) have built-in authentication server,
therefore the external RADIUS authentication server is not needed. In this case, the
Wireless AP is acted as both authenticator and authentication server.
All contents copyright (c) 2010 ZyXEL Communications Corporation.
P2612HNU Fx Support Notes
40