User's Manual

Table Of Contents
Users Manual of GS-5220-16T2XV(R) Managed LCD Switch
244
Until the client is authenticated, 802.1X access control allows only Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL)
traffic through the port to which the client is connected. After authentication is successful, normal traffic can pass through the
port.
This section includes this conceptual information:
Device Roles
Authentication Initiation and Message Exchange
Ports in Authorized and Unauthorized States
Device Roles
With 802.1X port-based authentication, the devices in the network have specific roles as shown below.
Figure 4-5-2
Clientthe device (workstation) that requests access to the LAN and switch services and responds to requests from
the switch. The workstation must be running 802.1X-compliant client software such as that offered in the Microsoft
Windows XP operating system. (The client is the supplicant in the IEEE 802.1X specification.)
Authentication serverperforms the actual authentication of the client. The authentication server validates the
identity of the client and notifies the switch whether or not the client is authorized to access the LAN and switch services.
Because the switch acts as the proxy, the authentication service is transparent to the client. In this release, the Remote
Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) security system with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
extensions is the only supported authentication server; it is available in Cisco Secure Access Control Server version 3.0.