Specifications

Chapter 8 Security Setup
Setting Up Backup Authentication Servers
8-40
Cisco Aironet Access Point Software Configuration Guide
OL-0657-07
Setting Up Backup Authentication Servers
You can configure up to four servers for authentication services on the
Authenticator Configuration page, so you can set up backup authenticators. If you
set up more than one server for the same service, the server first in the list is the
primary server for that service, and the other servers are used in list order when
the previous server times out. If a backup server responds after the primary server
fails, the access point continues to use the backup server for new transactions.
Follow these steps to set up a backup authentication server:
Step 1 Complete the steps in the “Setting Up EAP Authentication” section on page 8-20
or the “Setting Up MAC-Based Authentication” section on page 8-29 to set up
your primary authentication server.
Step 2 On the Authenticator Configuration page, enter information about your backup
server in one of the entry field groups under the completed entry fields for your
primary server:
a. Enter the name or IP address of the backup server in the Server Name/IP entry
field.
b. Enter the port number the server uses for authentication. The default setting,
1812, is the port setting for Cisco’s RADIUS server, the Cisco Secure Access
Control Server (ACS), and for many other RADIUS servers. Check your
server’s product documentation to find the correct port setting.
c. Enter the shared secret used by the server in the Shared Secret entry field. The
shared secret on the bridge must match the shared secret on the server.
d. Enter the number of seconds the the access point should wait before
authentication fails.
e. Enter the number of seconds the access point should wait before giving up
contacting the server.
Step 3 Select the same authentication methods as those selected on the primary server.
Step 4 Click OK. You return automatically to the Setup page. Figure 8-13 shows a
primary authentication server and a backup server configured on the
Authenticator Configuration page.