Aruba Networks AirOS v2.3, User Manual

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Configuring 802.1x Security 99
Chapter 8
C
HAPTER
8
Configuring 802.1x
Security
The main aim of this document is to help the user configure 802.1x through web interface.
This document includes a description of the steps, examples and any common problems the
user needs to watch out for while configuring 802.1x on the Aruba WLAN switches.
802.1x is an IEEE standard designed to provide authentication before L2 access to the network
is permitted. The authentication protocols that operate inside the 802.1x framework suitable
for wireless networks include EAP-TLS, PEAP and TTLS. These protocols allow the
network to authenticate the client while also allowing the client to authenticate the network.
These authentication protocols are all based on EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) and
are also referred to as EAP types.
The 802.1x system consists of three parts. The supplicant, or client, is the device attempting to
gain access to the network. The authenticator is the gatekeeper to the network and permits or
denies access to the supplicants. Finally, the authentication server provides a database of
information required for authentication and informs the authenticator with information to
deny or permit access to the supplicant.
The Aruba WLAN Switch acts as the authenticator, relaying information between the
authentication server and supplicant. The EAP type or authentication protocols are
transparent to the switch and have to be consistent between the authentication server and
supplication or client.