Web and MAC Authentication

Overview

Overview

Feature

Default

Menu

CLI

Web

Configure Web Authentication

n/a

3-17

Configure MAC Authentication

n/a

3-22

Display Web Authentication Status and Configuration

n/a

3-26

Display MAC Authentication Status and Configuration

n/a

3-28

 

Web and MAC Authentication are designed for employment on the “edge” of

 

a network to provide port-based security measures for protecting private

 

networks and the switch itself from unauthorized access. Because neither

 

method requires clients to run any special supplicant software, both are

 

suitable for legacy systems and temporary access situations where introduc-

 

ing supplicant software is not an attractive option. Both methods rely on using

 

a RADIUS server for authentication. This simplifies access security manage-

 

ment by allowing you to control access from a master database in a single

 

server. (You can use up to three RADIUS servers to provide backups in case

 

access to the primary server fails.) It also means the same credentials can be

 

used for authentication, regardless of which switch or switch port is the

 

current access point into the LAN.

 

Web Authentication (Web-Auth).This method uses a web page login to

 

authenticate users for access to the network. When a user connects to the

 

switch and opens a web browser the switch automatically presents a login

 

page. The user then enters a username and password, which the switch

 

forwards to a RADIUS server for authentication. After authentication, the

 

switch grants access to the secured network. Other than a web browser, the

 

client needs no special supplicant software.

 

 

Note

Client web browsers may not use a proxy server to access the network.

 

MAC Authentication (MAC-Auth).This method grants access to a secure

 

 

network by authenticating devices for access to the network. When a device

 

connects to the switch, either by direct link or through the network, the switch

 

forwards the device’s MAC address to the RADIUS server for authentication.

 

The RADIUS server uses the device MAC address as the username and

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