What is 802.1x?

Understanding what the IEEE 802.1x standard is and why you should care means understanding three separate concepts: PPP, EAP and 802.1x itself.

Most people are familiar with PPP – Point-to-Point Protocol. PPP is most commonly used for dial-up Internet access. PPP is also used by some ISPs for DSL and cable modem authentication, in the form of PPP over Ethernet. PPP is part of Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, a core part of Microsoft’s secure remote access solution for Windows 2000 and beyond.

PPP evolved beyond its original use as a dial-up access method and iis now used all over the Internet. One piece of PPP defines an authentication mechanism. With dial-up Internet access, that’s the username and password you’re used to using. PPP authentication is used to identify the user at the other end of the PPP line before giving them access.

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