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Home Documentation Junos OS Evolved AI-ML Data Center Feature Guide Authentication

AI-ML Data Center Feature Guide

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AI-ML Data Center Feature Guide
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802.1X Authentication on Layer 2 Interfaces

date_range 12-Nov-24
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Overview

The IEEE 802.1X standard for port-based network access control (PNAC) provides a mechanism to authenticate users of devices attached to a LAN port. The 802.1X standard verifies the user's credentials in a local or remote user database. The authentication mechanism allows only users with the correct credentials to access the network. It denies access for all other users, thereby controlling network access.

The three basic components of a network with 802.1X authentication are:

  • Authenticator port access entity (PAE): A switch or router port to which a client connects. Authenticator PAEs form the control gate that blocks all traffic to and from the clients until 802.1X authenticates the clients.

  • Supplicants: Clients that are trying to access the network and need to be authenticated. Supplicants connect to authenticator PAEs.

  • Authentication server: The back-end database containing information about the users that are allowed to connect to the network. When a supplicant attempts to log in, 802.1X sends the supplicant's credentials to this server for authentication.

After the authentication server authenticates the supplicant's credentials, the device stops blocking access on the PAE. The device opens the interface to the supplicant and allows it to access the network. You (the network administrator) can configure 802.1X on Layer 2 (L2) interfaces.

The 802.1X IEEE standard allows you to use any authentication server for client authentication. RADIUS servers are most commonly used because those servers are easy to configure. RADIUS servers also provide the option to define proprietary, or vendor-specific, attributes. The device and the server can exchange these attributes.

Benefits

  • Authenticate users.

  • Prevent bad actors from accessing your network.

  • Control network access.

Configuration

  1. Configure the L2 interface.
    For example:
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    set interfaces et-0/0/0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching interface-mode access
set interfaces et-0/0/0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching vlan members v10
set vlans v10 vlan-id 10
  2. Enable 802.1X authentication.
    1. Single-supplicant mode:
      content_copy zoom_out_map
      set protocols dot1x authenticator interface et-0/0/0.0 supplicant single
    2. Single-secure-supplicant mode:
      content_copy zoom_out_map
      set protocols dot1x authenticator interface et-0/0/0.0 supplicant single-secure
    3. Multiple-supplicant mode:
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      set protocols dot1x authenticator interface et-0/0/0.0 supplicant multiple
  3. Create the 802.1X profiles and associate the profiles to 802.1X, the RADIUS authentication server, and the RADIUS accounting server.
    For example:
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    set access profile dot1x-auth-profile authentication-order radius
set access profile dot1x-auth-profile radius authentication-server address
set access profile dot1x-auth-profile radius accounting-server address 
set protocols dot1x authenticator authentication-profile-name dot1x-auth-profile
set access profile dot1x-accounting authentication-order radius
set access profile dot1x-accounting accounting order radius
  4. Configure the RADIUS authentication server.
    For example:
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    set access radius-server address port 1812
set access radius-server address secret secret
set access radius-server address timeout 3
set access radius-server address retry 3
set access radius-server address source-address source-address
  5. Verify the configuration using the following commands.

    • show vlans

    • show ethernet-switching table

    • show mac-vrf forwarding mac-table

    • show dot1x interface detail

Platform Support

See Feature Explorer for platform and release support.

Related Documentation

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