The overview of operation flow is quite simple. When Supplicant PAE issues a request to Authenticator PAE, Authenticator and Supplicant exchanges authentication message. Then, Authenticator passes the request to RADIUS server to verify. Finally, RADIUS server replies if the request is granted or denied.
While in the authentication process, the message packets, encapsulated by Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL), are exchanged between an authenticator PAE and a supplicant PAE. The Authenticator exchanges the message to authentication server using EAP encapsulation. Before successfully authenticating, the supplicant can only touch the authenticator to perform authentication message exchange or access the network from the uncontrolled port.
Supplicant’s
System
Supplica
nt
PAE
Authenticator’s System | Authentication | ||
Server’s System | |||
|
| ||
Services | Authentica | Authenticat | |
Offered | |||
by | tor | ion | |
| PAE | S | |
Controlled port | Uncontrolled port |
| |
Port Authorize |
| ||
| MAC Enable |
| |
LAN
Fig.
This is the typical configuration, a single supplicant, an authenticator and an authentication server. B and C is in the internal network, D is Authentication server running RADIUS, switch at the central location acts Authenticator connecting to PC A and A is a PC outside the controlled port, running Supplicant PAE. In this case, PC A wants to access the services on device B and C, first, it must exchange the authentication message with the authenticator on the port it connected via EAPOL packet. The authenticator transfers the supplicant’s credentials to Authentication server for verification. If success, the authentication server will notice the authenticator the grant. PC A, then, is allowed to access B and C via the switch. If there are two switches directly connected together instead of single one, for the link connecting two switches, it may have to act two port roles at the end of the link: authenticator and supplicant, because the traffic is
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