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Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Software Configuration Guide—Release 8.7
OL-8978-04
Chapter 40 Configuring 802.1X Authentication
Configuring 802.1X Authentication on the Switch
Enabling 802.1X Authentication for Individual Ports
After 802.1X authentication is globally enabled, you must enable 802.1X authentication from the
console for the individual ports. To enable 802.1X authentication globally, see the
“Enabling 802.1X
Authentication Globally” section on page 40-14
.
Note
You must specify at least one RADIUS server before you can enable 802.1X authentication on the
switch. For more information, see
Chapter 21, “Configuring the Switch Access Using AAA.”
To enable 802.1X authentication for access to the switch, perform this task in privileged mode:
This example shows how to enable 802.1X authentication on port 1 in module 3 and verify the
configuration:
Console> (enable)
set port dot1x 3/1 port-control auto
Port 3/1 dot1x port-control is set to auto.
Trunking disabled for port 3/1 due to Dot1x feature.
Spantree port fast start option enabled for port 3/1.
Console> (enable)
show port dot1x 3/1
Port Auth-State BEnd-State Port-Control Port-Status
----- ------------------- ---------- ------------------- -------------
3/1 connecting idle auto unauthorized
Port Port-Mode Re-authentication Shutdown-timeout Control-Mode
admin oper
----- ------------- ----------------- ---------------- ---------------
3/1 SingleAuth disabled disabled Both Both
Console> (enable)
Note
To clear the current state machines for a new authentication, enter the
set port dot1x
mod/port
initialize
command.
Enabling 802.1X with Inaccessible Authentication Bypass
You can enable 802.1X inaccessible authentication bypass on a per-port basis. This feature allows you to
specify a port as critical. When a port is specified as a critical port, 802.1X attempts to authenticate the
port in the normal way. If attempts to reach the authentication server fail, the port is still given access to
the network in the administratively configured VLAN or the port’s native VLAN. You can configure a
port as critical only if it is in single-authentication mode.
After a critical port obtains access to the network, if the authentication server becomes available, the
critical port returns to the unauthorized state, the normal authentication process restarts, and the critical
port moves into the RADIUS server-specified VLAN after the port is authenticated. At this point, you
must initialize the port manually using the
set port dot1x
mod/port
initialize
command.
Task
Command
Step 1
Enable 802.1X control on a specific port.
set port dot1x
mod
/
port
port-control auto
Step 2
Verify the 802.1X configuration.
show port dot1x
mod
/
port