Windows XP 802.1x port based authentication HomeNetHelp.com

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802.1x

New Authentication for

Wireless Lans

IEEE 802.1X is a draft standard for port-based network access control, to provide authenticated network access for Ethernet networks.

Wow that was a mouthfull!

Basicly, this has to do with 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet. It looks like Microsoft is encouraging the use of a new authentication standard called 802.1x. This standard can be used to authenticate and secure, among other things, Wireless Ethernet networks. Currently there is no standard to securing and authenticating wireless network nodes. With new found the popularity of 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet (802.11b), this will become more and more of a problem. As long as hardware manufacturers follow Microsoft’s proposed direction in the use of 802.1x, giving someone secure, encrypted, wireless access on a Microsoft network will be as easy as setting a flag on the users domain account.

What does this mean for the Home Network user?

802.1x will ensure that if and when you make the change over to Wireless Ethernet, your neighbor will not be able to access your wireless LAN!

A supporting article on this can be found at Microsoft here.

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Part 4: Firewire Networks

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