Reference Guide

Figure 3. EAP Frames Encapsulated in Ethernet and RADUIS
The authentication process involves three devices:
• The device attempting to access the network is the supplicant. The supplicant is not allowed to communicate on
the network until the authenticator authorizes the port. It can only communicate with the authenticator in
response to 802.1X requests.
• The device with which the supplicant communicates is the authenticator. The authenticator is the gate keeper
of the network. It translates and forwards requests and responses between the authentication server and the
supplicant. The authenticator also changes the status of the port based on the results of the authentication
process. The Dell Networking switch is the authenticator.
• The authentication-server selects the authentication method, verifies the information the supplicant provides,
and grants it network access privileges.
Ports can be in one of two states:
• Ports are in an unauthorized state by default. In this state, non-802.1X traffic cannot be forwarded in or out of the
port.
• The authenticator changes the port state to authorized if the server can authenticate the supplicant. In this
state, network traffic can be forwarded normally.
NOTE: The Dell Networking switches place 802.1X-enabled ports in the unauthorized state by default.
The Port-Authentication Process
The authentication process begins when the authenticator senses that a link status has changed from down to up:
1. When the authenticator senses a link state change, it requests that the supplicant identify itself using an EAP
Identity Request frame.
2. The supplicant responds with its identity in an EAP Response Identity frame.
3. The authenticator decapsulates the EAP response from the EAPOL frame, encapsulates it in a RADIUS Access-
Request frame and forwards the frame to the authentication server.
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