Configuring Port-Based and User-Based Access Control (802.1X)

General Operating Rules and Notes

General Operating Rules and Notes

■In the user-based mode, when there is an authenticated client on a port, the following traffic movement is allowed:

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•Multicast and broadcast traffic is allowed on the port.

•Unicast traffic to authenticated clients on the port is allowed.

•All traffic from authenticated clients on the port is allowed.

When a port on the switch is configured as either an authenticator or supplicant and is connected to another device, rebooting the switch causes a re-authentication of the link.

Using user-based 802.1X authentication, when a port on the switch is configured as an authenticator the port allows only authenticated clients up to the currently configured client limit.

For clients that do not have the proper 802.1X supplicant software, the optional 802.1X Open VLAN mode can be used to open a path for downloading 802.1X supplicant software to a client or to provide other services for unauthenticated clients. Refer to “802.1X Open VLAN Mode” on page 10-29.)

■Using port-based 802.1X authentication, When a port on the switch is configured as an authenticator, one authenticated client opens the port. Other clients that are not running an 802.1X supplicant application can have access to the switch and network through the opened port. If another client uses an 802.1X supplicant application to access the opened port, then a re-authentication occurs using the RADIUS configuration response for the latest client to authenticate. To control access by all clients, use the user-based method.

■Where a switch port is configured with user-based authentication to accept multiple 802.1X (and/or Web- or MAC-Authentication) client ses- sions, all authenticated clients must use the same port-based, untagged VLAN membership assigned for the earliest, currently active client ses- sion. Thus, on a port where one or more authenticated client sessions are already running, all such clients will be on the same untagged VLAN. If a RADIUS server subsequently authenticates a new client, but attempts to re-assign the port to a different, untagged VLAN than the one already in use for the previously existing, authenticated client sessions, the connec- tion for the new client will fail. For more on this topic, refer to “802.1X Open VLAN Mode” on page 10-29.(Note that if the port is statically configured with any tagged VLAN memberships, any authenticated client configured to use these tagged VLANs will have access to them.)

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