300-430 Question 317
Select 3A network engineer is configuring 802.1X authentication for newly deployed Cisco access points in an enterprise network. The engineer wants to ensure that the access points authenticate securely with the switchports before they are allowed on the network. Which of the following configurations must be implemented to achieve this?
- A
Enable 802.1X authentication on the switchport where the access point is connected
- B
Configure the access point to use a shared secret for authentication
- C
Configure the RADIUS server details on the switch to handle authentication requests
- D
Enable MAC-based authentication as a fallback in case 802.1X fails
- E
Ensure the access point's certificate is signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, E
Explanation
To implement 802.1X authentication for access points, the switchport must be configured to enforce 802.1X authentication, and the switch must be able to forward authentication requests to a RADIUS server. Additionally, the access point must have a valid certificate to support secure mutual authentication, as required by the 802.1X framework. Other methods like shared secrets or MAC-based authentication are not relevant or secure for this scenario.
- A. Correct.
Correct: Enabling 802.1X authentication on the switchport is required to enforce port-based network access control for the access point.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect: A shared secret is used between the RADIUS server and the network device (like a switch), not directly configured on the access point for 802.1X.
- C. Correct.
Correct: Configuring the RADIUS server details on the switch is necessary for the switch to forward 802.1X authentication requests to the authentication server.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect: MAC-based authentication is not a component of 802.1X and is not a secure fallback mechanism for this scenario.
- E. Correct.
Correct: A valid certificate signed by a trusted Certificate Authority is required to ensure secure mutual authentication between the access point and the authentication server.