802.1x port authentication and MS AD integration

[bill.efthimiou]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing some testing with 802.1x authentication on a Catalyst 3550 switch, using an eval version 3.3 of ACS (windows version). I do have it working, however, it appears that I'm forced to essentially, login to the network twice. Once when I login to the workstation (windowsXP) using the good old ctl-alt-del, then username and password. Then once logged in, I need to wait about a minute before I receive a balloon message from the network icon at the bottom right of the screen to click here and enter the username and password again. That's the second network login.

Thus the user experience becomes rather frustrating. I'm not sure if this is expected/normal.

A point to note is that the ACS radius server is not integrated with the Microsoft Active Directory (AD), but rather, I'm authenticating the 802.1x off the local ACS database.

Can anyone advise if the user experience will be different, if the ACS server is integrated with the Microsoft AD? That is, when a user logs into the workstation will the same username and password be passed through to the ACS radius server for 802.1x authentication, an thus hide the second login prompt?

If not is there another way around the second username and password prompt?

Thanks in Advance,

Bill.

[jafrazie]

This has less to do with the switch, and more so the supplicant. What EAP-type are you using?

[bill.efthimiou]

Using MD5.

I believe the issue is because I haven't integrated with AD. Once this is done and the Uid and pwd is the same, then I should not be prompted for username and pwd authentication twice.

You are correct, the issue is not at the switch, but rather how the authentication from the supplicant is done and passed through.