Configuring AAA for network users 589
Nortel WLAN—Security Switch 2300 Series Configuration Guide

Authentication process for users of a third-party AP

1WSS Software uses MAC authentication to authenticate the AP.
2The user contacts the AP and negotiates the authentication protocol to be used.
3The AP, acting as a RADIUS client, sends a RADIUS access-request to the WSS. The access-request
includes the SSID, the user’s MAC address, and the username.
4For 802.1X users, the AP uses 802.1X to authenticate the user, using the WSS as its RADIUS server. The
WSS proxies RADIUS requests from the AP to a real RADIUS server, depending on the authentication
method specified in the proxy authentication rule for the user.
5After successful RADIUS authentication of the user (or special username, for non-802.1X users), WSS
Software assigns authorization attributes to the user from the RADIUS server’s access-accept response.
6When the user’s session ends, the third-party AP sends a RADIUS stop-accounting record to the WSS.
The WSS then removes the session.