Eap authentication, Eap characteristics – AMX Modero MVP-5200i User Manual

Page 176

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Appendix B: Wireless Technology

168

MVP-5200i Modero Viewpoint Widescreen Touch Panel

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 over 40 different EAP methods are currently 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 of the list) 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

two-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

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