Eap over lans

As explained in Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security

EAP over LANs is a protocol encapsulation that transports EAP messages across Ethernet or IEEE 802.11 LANs.

EAP over LANs (EAPoL) encapsulates EAP messages for transport across Ethernet or IEEE 802.11 LANs. 802.1X defines this transport as part of port-based network access control: the client must authenticate before communicating on the wired port or wireless LAN. section 20.2.2

Follow the authentication path:

• The supplicant is the client requesting network access. section 20.2.2
• The authenticator is the AP, switch, or— in a split-MAC design—the WLC that controls access. section 20.2.2
• EAPoL carries EAP between the supplicant and authenticator; RADIUS carries the EAP messages from the authenticator to the authentication server, usually a RADIUS server. section 20.2.2

Figure 20.6 The 802.1X/EAP protocol stack. 802.1X defines EAPoL, which allows EAP messages to be transported over Ethernet or 802.11 LANs.

Use the protocol-stack figure to distinguish EAP authentication methods from 802.1X’s EAPoL transport function. section 20.2.2

Figure 20.7 EAPoL is used to transport EAP messages between the supplicant and authenticator, and RADIUS between the authenticator and AS.

Use the message-flow figure to trace EAPoL between client and authenticator and RADIUS toward the authentication server. section 20.2.2

How Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security covers it

How deep it goes

Defines roles and message paths, but stops short of detailing individual EAP authentication methods.

Examples

Uses Ethernet, IEEE 802.11, AP, switch-port, and split-MAC WLC authentication paths as concrete contexts.

What you can do after

Evaluate authentication flows by separating EAPoL traffic within the LAN from RADIUS traffic toward the authentication server.

How it connects

Connects 802.1X, EAP, RADIUS, supplicants, authenticators, authentication servers, APs, WLCs, and CAPWAP.

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Related concepts

• extensible authentication protocoluses · Extensible Authentication Protocol is an authentication framework that supports multiple authentication methods and defines authentication messages exchanged between a client and an authentication server.
• 802.1xproduced by · IEEE 802.1X is a port-based network access-control standard that requires device or user authentication before network access is granted.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.