470 Configuring Port and System Security
IEEE 802.1X
What is IEEE 802.1X?
The IEEE 802.1X standard provides a means of preventing unauthorized 
access by supplicants (clients) to the services the switch offers, such as access 
to the LAN. 
The 802.1X network has three components: 
•
Supplicant
 — The client connected to the authenticated port that 
requests access to the network.
•
Authenticator
 — The network device that prevents network access prior to 
authentication.
•
Authentication Server
 — The network server (such as a RADIUS server) 
that performs the authentication on behalf of the authenticator, and 
indicates whether the user is authorized to access system services. 
Figure 20-1 shows the 802.1X network components.
Figure 20-1. IEEE 802.1X Network
Authenticator
Supplicant
Authentication
Server
LAN