Configuring Security
802.1X
Cisco Small Business 300 Series Managed Switch Administration Guide  219
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• Authentication Method—Select the authentication method for the port. The 
options are:
- 802.1X Only—802.1X authentication is the only authentication method 
performed on the port.
- MAC Only—Port is authenticated based on the supplicant MAC address. 
Only 8 MAC-based authentications can be used on the port.
- 802.1X and MAC—Both 802.1X and MAC-based authentication are 
performed on the switch. The 802.1X authentication takes precedence.
NOTE For MAC authentication to succeed, the Radius server supplicant 
username and password must be the supplicant MAC address. The MAC 
address must be in lower case letters and entered without the “:” or “-” 
separators; for example: 0020aa00bbcc.
• Periodic Reauthentication—Select to enable port re-authentication 
attempts after the specified Reauthentication Period. 
• Reauthentication Period—Enter the number of seconds after which the 
selected port is reauthenticated. 
• Reauthenticate Now—Select to enable immediate port re-authentication.
• Authenticator State—Displays the defined port authorization state. The 
options are:
- Force-Authorized—Controlled port state is set to Force-Authorized 
(forward traffic).
- Force-Unauthorized—Controlled port state is set to Force-Unauthorized 
(discard traffic).
NOTE If the port is not in Force-Authorized or Force-Unauthorized, it is in 
Auto Mode and the authenticator displays the state of the authentication 
in progress. After the port is authenticated, the state is shown as 
Authenticated.
• Time Range—Enable a limit on the time that the specific port is authorized 
for use if 802.1x has been enabled (Port -Based authentication is checked).
• Time Range Name—Select the profile that specifies the time range.
• Quiet Period—Enter the number of seconds that the switch remains in the 
quiet state following a failed authentication exchange.