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1224 PowerConnect B-Series FCX Configuration Guide
53-1002266-01
How 802.1X port security works
34
FIGURE 157 Multiple hosts connected to a single 802.1X-enabled port
If there are multiple hosts connected to a single 802.1X-enabled port, the Dell PowerConnect
device authenticates each of them individually. Each host authentication status is independent of
the others, so that if one authenticated host disconnects from the network, it has no effect on the
authentication status of any of the other authenticated hosts.
By default, traffic from hosts that cannot be authenticated by the RADIUS server is dropped in
hardware. You can optionally configure the Dell PowerConnect device to assign the port to a
“restricted” VLAN if authentication of the Client is unsuccessful.
How 802.1X Multiple-host authentication works
When multiple hosts are connected to a single 802.1X-enabled port on a Dell PowerConnect device
(as in Figure 157), 802.1X authentication is performed in the following way.
1. One of the 802.1X-enabled Clients attempts to log into a network in which a Dell PowerConnect
device serves as an Authenticator.
2. The Dell PowerConnect device creates an internal session (called a dot1x-mac-session) for the
Client. A dot1x-mac-session serves to associate a Client MAC address and username with its
authentication status.
3. The Dell PowerConnect device performs 802.1X authentication for the Client. Messages are
exchanged between the Dell PowerConnect device and the Client, and between the device and
the Authentication Server (RADIUS server). The result of this process is that the Client is either
successfully authenticated or not authenticated, based on the username and password
supplied by the client.
4. If the Client is successfully authenticated, the Client dot1x-mac-session is set to
“access-is-allowed”. This means that traffic from the Client can be forwarded normally.
RADIUS Server
(Authentication Server)
Switch
(Authenticator)
Clients/Supplicants running 802.1X-compliant client software
e2/1
192.168.9.22
Hub