Dell PowerConnect 5448 User's Guide - Page 241

Configuring Device Information This section provides all system operation and general information for configuring network security, ports, Address tables, GARP, VLANs, Spanning Tree, Port Aggregation, and Multicast Support. Configuring Network Security The device enables network security through both Access Control Lists and Locked Ports. To open the Network Security page select Switch → Network Security. Network Security Overview This section describes the network security features. Port Based Authentication (802.1x) Port based authentication enables authenticating system users on a per-port basis via a external server. Only authenticated and approved system users can transmit and receive data. Ports are authenticated via the RADIUS server using the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). Port Authentication includes: • Authenticators - Specifies the port that is authenticated before permitting system access. • Supplicants - Specifies host connected to the authenticated port requesting to access the system services. • Authentication Server - Specifies the external server, for example, the RADIUS server that performs the authentication on behalf of the authenticator, and indicates whether the user is authorized to access system services. Port based authentication creates two access states: • Controlled Access - Permits communication between the user and the system, if the user is authorized. • Uncontrolled Access - Permits uncontrolled communication regardless of the port state. The device currently supports Port Based Authentication via RADIUS servers. Configuring Device Information 241