AMX NXD-1000Vi - EAP Authentication; EAP Characteristics

Appendix D - Wireless Technology
208
NXD-1000Vi 10" Modero® Wall/Flush Mount Touch Panel with Intercom
EAP Authentication
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) is an Enterprise authentication protocol that can be used in both a
wired and wireless network environment. EAP requires the use of an 802.1x Authentication Server, also
known as a Radius server. Although there are currently over 40 different EAP methods defined, the current
internal Modero 802.11g wireless card and accompanying firmware only support the following EAP methods
(listed from simplest to most complex):
EAP-LEAP (Cisco Light EAP)
EAP-FAST (Cisco Flexible Authentication via Secure Tunneling, a.k.a. LEAPv2)
The following use certificates:
EAP-PEAP (Protected EAP)
EAP-TTLS (Tunneled Transport Layer Security)
EAP-TLS (Transport Layer Security)
EAP requires the use of an 802.1x authentication server (also known as a Radius server). Sophisticated Access
Points (such as Cisco) can use a built-in Radius server. The most common RADIUS servers used in wireless
networks today are:
Microsoft Sever 2003
Juniper Odyssey (once called Funk Odyssey)
Meetinghouse AEGIS Server
DeviceScape RADIUS Server
Cisco Secure ACS
EAP Characteristics
The following table outlines the differences among the various EAP Methods from most secure (at the top) to
the least secure (at the bottom of the list):
EAP Method Characteristics
Method: Credential Type: Authentication: Pros: Cons:
EAP-TLS • Certificates • Certificate is based on a 2-way
authentication
• Highest Security • Difficult to deploy
EAP-TTLS • Certificates
• Fixed Passwords
• One-time passwords
(tokens)
• Client authentication is done via
password and certificates
• Server authentication is done via
certificates
• High Security • Moderately
difficult to deploy
EAP-PEAP • Certificates
• Fixed Passwords
• One-time passwords
(tokens)
• Client authentication is done via
password and certificates
• Server authentication is done via
certificates
• High Security • Moderately
difficult to deploy
EAP-LEAP • Certificates
• Fixed Passwords
• One-time passwords
(tokens)
• Authentication is based on
MS-CHAP and MS-CHAPv2
authentication protocols
• Easy deployment • Susceptible to
dictionary attacks
EAP-FAST • Certificates
• Fixed Passwords
• One-time passwords
(tokens)
•N/A •N/A •N/A