User`s guide

Signamax 

 065-7726SPOE / 065-7726SPOE-FP 24-Port 10/100BaseT/TX
PoE Managed Switch User Manual
Publication date: February 2010
Revision A1.0
108
The overview of operation flow for the Fig. 3-43 is quite simple. When Supplicant
PAE issues a request to Authenticator PAE, Authenticator and Supplicant exchange
an authentication message. Then, Authenticator passes the request to RADIUS
server to verify. Finally, RADIUS server replies if the request is granted or denied.
While in the authentication process, the message packets, encapsulated by
Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL), are exchanged between an
authenticator PAE and a supplicant PAE. The Authenticator exchanges the message
to authentication server using EAP encapsulation. Before successfully authenticating,
the supplicant can only touch the authenticator to perform authentication message
exchange or access the network from the uncontrolled port.
Fig. 3-43
In the Fig. 3-44, this is the typical configuration, a single supplicant, an authenticator and
an authentication server. B and C is in the internal network, D is Authentication server running
RADIUS, switch at the central location acts Authenticator connecting to PC A and A is a PC
outside the controlled port, running Supplicant PAE. In this case, PC A wants to access the
services on device B and C, first, it must exchange the authentication message with the
authenticator on the port it connected via EAPOL packet. The authenticator transfers the
supplicant’s credentials to Authentication server for verification. If success, the authentication
server will notice the authenticator the grant. PC A, then, is allowed to access B and C via the
switch. If there are two switches directly connected together instead of single one, for the link
connecting two switches, it may have to act two port roles at the end of the link: authenticator
and supplicant, because the traffic is bi-directional.
LAN
Authenticator
PAE
Services Offered
by Authenticator
(e.g. Bridge
Relay)
Authenticator’s System
Authentication
Server’s System
Authentication
Server
Supplicant
PAE
Supplicant’s
System
Uncontrolled port Controlled port
MAC Enable
Port Authorize