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EAP Exchanges

EAP exchanges involve the communication of authentication information between an EAP peer (client) and an EAP authenticator (access point) to achieve successful authentication as defined by RFC 3748. The process includes the exchange of EAP messages, where the authenticator requests identity and the peer responds, continuing until either authentication fails or succeeds. An authentication server, typically a RADIUS server, validates credentials and authorizes access, while the EAP authenticator decides whether to grant access based on the exchange outcomes.

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13 views2 pages

EAP Exchanges

EAP exchanges involve the communication of authentication information between an EAP peer (client) and an EAP authenticator (access point) to achieve successful authentication as defined by RFC 3748. The process includes the exchange of EAP messages, where the authenticator requests identity and the peer responds, continuing until either authentication fails or succeeds. An authentication server, typically a RADIUS server, validates credentials and authorizes access, while the EAP authenticator decides whether to grant access based on the exchange outcomes.

Uploaded by

Rethina Sabapathi Pandiyan
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

EAP Exchanges

the authentication information and

authentication protocol information are carried in EAP messages RFC 3748 defines the goal of the
exchange of EAP messages to be successful

authentication. In the context of RFC 3748, successful authentication is an exchange

of EAP messages, as a result of which the authenticator decides to allow access

by the peer, and the peer decides to use this access.

EAP peer: Client computer that is attempting to access a network.

• EAP authenticator: An access point or NAS that requires EAP authentication

prior to granting access to a network.

• Authentication server: A server computer that negotiates the use of a specific

EAP method with an EAP peer, validates the EAP peer’s credentials,

and authorizes access to the network. Typically, the authentication server is a

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server.

The authentication server functions as a backend server that can authenticate

peers as a service to a number of EAP authenticators. The EAP authenticator then

makes the decision of whether to grant access. This is referred to as the EAP passthrough

mode. Less commonly, the authenticator takes over the role of the EAP

server; that is, only two parties are involved in the EAP execution

a lower-level protocol, such as PPP (point-to-point protocol)

or IEEE 802.1X, is used to connect to the EAP authenticator. The software

entity in the EAP peer that operates at this level is referred to as the

supplicant. EAP messages containing the appropriate information for a

chosen EAP method are then exchanged between the EAP peer and the

authentication server.

Code: Identifies the Type of EAP message. The codes are Request (1),

Response (2), Success (3), and Failure (4).

• Identifier: Used to match Responses with Requests.

• Length: Indicates the length, in octets, of the EAP message, including the

Code, Identifier, Length, and Data fields.


• Data: Contains information related to authentication. Typically, the Data field

consists of a Type subfield, indicating the type of data carried, and a Type-

Data field.

The EAP authentication exchange proceeds as follows. After a lower-level

exchange that established the need for an EAP exchange, the authenticator sends a

Request to the peer to request an identity, and the peer sends a Response with the

identity information. This is followed by a sequence of Requests by the authenticator

and Responses by the peer for the exchange of authentication information. The

information exchanged and the number of Request–Response exchanges needed

depend on the authentication method. The conversation continues until either (1)

the authenticator determines that it cannot authenticate the peer and transmits an

EAP Failure or (2) the authenticator determines that successful authentication has

occurred and transmits an EAP Success.

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