Moxa EDS-518E-4GTXSFP-T [86/116] Ieee 802 x settings

Managed Ethernet Switch (UI_2.0_FW_5.x) Featured Functions

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IEEE 802.1X Settings

The IEEE 802.1X standard defines a protocol for client/server-based access control and authentication. The

protocol restricts unauthorized clients from connecting to a LAN through ports that are open to the Internet,

and which otherwise would be readily accessible. The purpose of the authentication server is to check each

client that requests access to the port. The client is only allowed access to the port if the client’s permission is

authenticated.

Three components are used to create an authentication mechanism based on 802.1X standards:

Client/Supplicant, Authentication Server, and Authenticator.

Client/Supplicant: The end station that requests access to the LAN and switch services and responds to the

requests from the switch.

Authentication Server: The server that performs the actual authentication of the supplicant.

Authenticator: Edge switch or wireless access point that acts as a proxy between the supplicant and the

authentication server, requesting identity information from the supplicant, verifying the information with the

authentication server, and relaying a response to the supplicant.

The Moxa switch acts as an authenticator in the 802.1X environment. A supplicant and an authenticator

exchange EAPOL (Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN) frames with each other. We can either use an

external RADIUS server as the authentication server, or implement the authentication server in the Moxa

switch by using a Local User Database as the authentication look-up table. When we use an external RADIUS

server as the authentication server, the authenticator and the authentication server exchange EAP frames.

Authentication can be initiated either by the supplicant or the authenticator. When the supplicant initiates the

authentication process, it sends an EAPOL-Start frame to the authenticator. When the authenticator initiates

the authentication process or when it receives an EAPOL Start frame, it sends an EAP Request/Identity

frame to ask for the username of the supplicant.