Cisco Aironet 340 Series, Hardware Installation Manual

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Chapter 1 Product Overview
Security Features of the Client Adapter
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Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters Hardware Installation Guide
OL-0795-01
EAP and LEAP
EAP is an optional IEEE 802.1x security feature that is ideal for organizations
with a large user base and access to an EAP-enabled Remote Authentication
Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server, such as Cisco Secure ACS 2.6. The
RADIUS server uses EAP to provide server-based authentication for clients.
Server-based authentication can be enabled for your client adapter in one of two
ways:
•
Through a host device and code built into its operating system (referred to as
EAP)
•
Through your client adapter’s firmware and Cisco software (referred to as
LEAP)
This method provides authentication service to client adapters whose host
devices are not running an operating system with built-in EAP support. The
term LEAP is used to distinguish authentication provided by the client
firmware from authentication provided by a host and its operating system.
For Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, or Me or future Windows operating systems, the
Aironet Client Utility setup program, which installs the client utilities, is used to
enable LEAP or EAP. After LEAP or EAP is enabled and the computer is
rebooted, the client adapter authenticates to the RADIUS server using the
username and password entered by the user at the network logon. See the
“Installing the Client Utilities and Enabling LEAP or EAP” section on page 3-30
for instructions on using the Aironet Client Utility setup program to enable LEAP
or EAP.
For Windows CE, Linux, and MacOS 9.x, LEAP is enabled through a particular
screen in the client utilities. The username and password entered in this screen are
used by the client adapter to authenticate to the RADIUS server. In Windows CE,
you do not need to re-enter your username and password after your device is
rebooted or your client adapter is ejected. In Linux and MacOS 9.x, the username
and password need to be re-entered at the start of each new session. See the Cisco
Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters Software Configuration Guide for instructions on
enabling LEAP through the client utilities.