Managing Dial-Up Access Security with AUTOLINK and AUTOLINK Authentication

Managing Dial-Up Access Security with AUTOLINK and AUTOLINK Authentication

Introduction

AUTOLINK lets PC clients log in using SLIP,PPP, and character cell terminal mode. AUTOLINK AUTHENTICATION provides a flexible and secure method for clients to authenticate when using AUTOLINK. A single port can support authenticated logins from different types of PPP clients, which may have different LCP authentication capabilities. For SLIP or PPP clients that do not support PAP or CHAP authentication, and interactive or script-based login will be used. When you enable AUTOLINK AUTHENTICATION, only one form of authentication is required during any port login.

When you use AUTOLINK authentication, a successful user login requires a user name/password authentication. The user name/password authentication requirement is independent of how you configure port characteristics (PORT AUTHENTICATION and LCP AUTHENTICATION).

To use AUTOLINK authentication, you need to set the DEFAULT PROTOCOL and DEDICATED SERVICE for the port to use the AUTOLINK protocol, and then enable the AUTOLINK AUTHENTICATION port characteristic.

Activating AUTOLINK

The port begins the AUTOLINK search protocol when the modem has established a connection. AUTOLINK examines the characters arriving on the port and determines if a PC is using PPP, SLIP, or a character-cell terminal emulation (which may be a login script).

If AUTOLINK does not detect a PPP or SLIP start frame character within a user-set timeout, it chooses character-cell emulation. Note that a user or the login script can expedite the choice of character-cell emulation by entering a carriage return character.

Example: Configuring the Port

The following example shows how to set the port’s default protocol and dedicated service to AUTOLINK:

Local> DEFINE PORT DEFAULT PROTOCOL AUTOLINK

Local> DEFINE PORT DEDICATED SERVICE AUTOLINK

22-32 Managing Access Server Security