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1 802.1x Configuration
When configuring 802.1x, go to these sections for information you are interested in:
z Introduction to 802.1x
z Introduction to 802.1x Configuration
z Basic 802.1x Configuration
z Advanced 802.1x Configuration
z Displaying and Maintaining 802.1x Configuration
z Configuration Example
Introduction to 802.1x
The 802.1x protocol (802.1x for short) was developed by IEEE802 LAN/WAN committee to address
security issues of wireless LANs. It was then used in Ethernet as a common access control mechanism
for LAN ports to address mainly authentication and security problems.
802.1x is a port-based network access control protocol. It is used to perform port-level authentication
and control of devices connected to the 802.1x-enabled ports. With the 802.1x protocol employed, a
user-side device can access the LAN only when it passes the authentication. Those devices that fail to
pass the authentication are denied access to the LAN.
This section covers these topics:
z Architecture of 802.1x Authentication
z The Mechanism of an 802.1x Authentication System
z Encapsulation of EAPoL Messages
z 802.1x Authentication Procedure
z Timers Used in 802.1x
z Additional 802.1x Features on Switch
Architecture of 802.1x Authentication
As shown in Figure 1-1, 802.1x adopts a client/server architecture with three entities: a supplicant
system, an authenticator system, and an authentication server system.