802.1X

Port-based network access control, the standard for authenticating users and devices onto wired and wireless networks. Articles tagged 802.1X cover supplicant and authenticator behavior, RADIUS, EAP methods, Cisco ISE, dynamic VLANs, dACLs, host modes, and phased deployment.

33 posts

802.1X

What Is 802.1X? Port-Based Network Access Control Explained

802.1X is port-based network access control. It forces a device to authenticate before the switch forwards traffic, closing the wall-jack gap in modern enterprise networks.

Mar 24, 2026 8 min read

802.1X

MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB) Configuration on Cisco IOS XE and ISE

MAB authenticates printers, cameras, and legacy gear that cannot run a supplicant by using their MAC as the RADIUS username. Here is the Cisco IOS XE and ISE config.

Mar 24, 2026 11 min read

802.1X

Configuring EAP-TLS with Certificates on Cisco ISE and IOS XE

EAP-TLS replaces 802.1X passwords with mutual certificate auth. Here is the PKI prep, ISE policy, and IOS XE config you need for a production certificate-based rollout.

Mar 24, 2026 10 min read

802.1X

Configuring PEAP Authentication with Cisco ISE and IOS XE

PEAP-MSCHAPv2 protects the credential exchange inside a TLS tunnel against an ISE server certificate. Here is the full Cisco ISE and IOS XE config for AD users.

Mar 24, 2026 10 min read

802.1X

Configuring Cisco ISE as a RADIUS Server for 802.1X

The ISE side of 802.1X: network devices, identity sources, authentication and authorization policies, and the Policy Set that ties it all together for a Catalyst 9300.

Mar 24, 2026 9 min read

802.1X

Basic 802.1X Port Configuration on Cisco IOS XE Switches

A complete 802.1X switchport config on IOS XE 17.9: AAA, RADIUS servers, dot1x system-auth-control, interface policy-map, and the voice VLAN gotchas to avoid.

Mar 24, 2026 11 min read