Moxa AWK-4121-EU-T [35/89] Eap ttls

AWK-4121 Web Console Configuration

3-17

EAP-TTLS

It is usually much easier to re-use existing authentication systems, such as a Windows domain or Active

Directory, LDAP directory, or Kerberos realm, rather than creating a parallel authentication system. As a result,

TTLS (Tunneled TLS) and PEAP (Protected EAP) are used to support the use of so-called “legacy authentication

methods.”

TTLS and PEAP work in a similar way. First, they establish a TLS tunnel, like EAP-TLS, and validate whether the

network is trustworthy with digital certificates on the authentication server. This step is run to establish a

tunnel that protects the next step (or “inner” authentication) so it is sometimes referred to as the “outer”

authentication. Then the TLS tunnel is used to encrypt an older authentication protocol that authenticates the

user for the network.

As you can see, digital certificates are still needed for the outer authentication in a simplified form. Only a small

number of certificates are required, which can be generated by a small certificate authority. Certificate

reduction makes TTLS and PEAP much more popular than EAP-TLS.

The AWK-4121 provides some non-cryptographic EAP methods including PAP, CHAP, MS-CHAP, and

MS-CHAP-V2. These EAP methods are not recommended for direct use on wireless networks. However, they

may be useful as inner authentication methods with TTLS or PEAP.

Because the inner and outer authentications can use distinct user names in TTLS and PEAP, you can use an

anonymous user name for the outer authentication, while the true user name is shown only through the

encrypted channel. Remember, not all client software supports anonymous altercation. Confirm this with the

network administrator before you enable identity hiding in TTLS and PEAP.

TTL Inner Authentication

Setting Description Factory Default

PAP Password Authentication Protocol is used MS-CHAP-V2

CHAP Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol is used

MS-CHAP Microsoft CHAP is used

MS-CHAP-V2 Microsoft CHAP version 2 is used

Anonymous

Setting Description Factory Default

Max. 31 characters A distinct name used for outer authentication None

User name & Password

Setting Description Factory Default

User name and password used in inner authentication None