Fortress Bridge: Administration
52
Chapter 4Administration

4.1 Device Authentication

NOTE: The Bridge
supports 802.1X
authentication through
separate and unrelated
configuration settings.
These are described in
802.1X Security (for
wireless devices) and in
Section 3.4, 802.1X Serv-
er and LAN Port Settings.
Device authentication is supported only for Local
authentication. (When External authentication is selected, the
settings that configure device authentication are grayed out to
reflect your selection.)
On a Fortress-secured network with device authentication
enabled, a unique Device ID is generated for each device
connecting from an encrypted zone. The Device ID is
subsequently used to authenticate that device on the network.
The Fortress Bridge has an internal RADIUS (Remote
Authentication Dial-In User Service) server built-in. The Bridge
additionally supports external RADIUS servers.
Authentication (device and user) is enabled and disabled
globally on the Bridge by selecting Disabled, Local or External
on the AUTHENTICATION SETTINGS frame of the SECURITY
SETTINGS screen. Device authentication can be enabled only
when Local authentication is selected.
NOTE: Refer to
Section 3.6.6.1 for
instructions on globally
enabling authentication
and to Section 3.6.6.4 for
instructions on globally
enabling device authen-
tication and configur-
ing devices’ default user
authentication option.
When device authentication is enabled, the Bridge detects
devices attempting to access the Bridge’s encrypted zone and
lists them on the DEVICE AUTHENTICATION screen.
Device authentication is globally enabled—for Bridge’s
configured for Local authentication—when it is included in the
selection made in AUTHENTICATION OPTIONS on the SECURITY
SETTINGS screen.
For any given device, device authentication can be used by
itself or combined with the Bridge’s provisions for user
authentication.

4.1.1 Maximum Device Authentication Retries

The maximum number of unsuccessful authentication attempts
a device will be allowed before ending its session is also
configured globally; the same setting configures the maximum
number of times users can unsuccessfully attempt to