Configuring Authentication for Access Points

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all of the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Prerequisites for Configuring Authentication for Access Points

  • You can set a global username, password, and enable password for all access points that are currently joined to the device and any that join in the future inherit as they join the device. If desired, you can override the global credentials and assign a unique username, password, and enable password for a specific access point.

  • After an access point joins the device, the access point enables console port security, and you are prompted for your username and password whenever you log into the access point’s console port. When you log in, you are in nonprivileged mode, and you must enter the enable password in order to use the privileged mode.

  • The global credentials that you configure on the device are retained across device and access point reboots. They are overwritten only if the access point joins a new device that is configured with a global username and password. If the new device is not configured with global credentials, the access point retains the global username and password configured for the first device.

  • You must track the credentials used by the access points. Otherwise, you might not be able to log into an access point’s console port. If you need to return the access points to the default Cisco/Cisco username and password, you must clear the device’s configuration and the access point’s configuration to return them to factory-default settings. To reset the default access point configuration, enter the ap name Cisco_AP mgmtuser username Cisco password Cisco command. Entering the command does not clear the static IP address of the access point. Once the access point rejoins a device, it adopts the default Cisco/Cisco username and password.

  • You can configure global authentication settings for all access points that are currently joined to the device and any that join in the future. If desired, you can override the global authentication settings and assign unique authentication settings for a specific access point.

  • This feature is supported on the following hardware:

    • All Cisco switches that support authentication.

    • Cisco Aironet 1140, 1260, 1310, 1520, 1600, 2600, 3500, and 3600 access points

Restrictions for Configuring Authentication for Access Points

  • The device name in the AP configuration is case sensitive. Therefore, make sure to configure the exact system name on the AP configuration. Failure to do this results in the AP fallback not working.

Information about Configuring Authentication for Access Points

Cisco IOS access points are shipped from the factory with Cisco as the default enable password. This password allows users to log into the nonprivileged mode and enter the show and debug commands that pose a security threat to your network. You must change the default enable password to prevent unauthorized access and to enable users to enter configuration commands from the access point’s console port.

You can configure 802.1X authentication between a lightweight access point and a Cisco switch. The access point acts as an 802.1X supplicant and is authenticated by the switch where it uses EAP-FAST with anonymous PAC provisioning.

How to Configure Authentication for Access Points

Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points (CLI)

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. ap mgmtuser username user_name password 0 passsword secret 0 secret_value
  4. end
  5. ap name Cisco_AP mgmtuser username user_name password password secret secret
  6. show ap summary
  7. show ap name Cisco_AP config general

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:

Device# enable

Enters privileged EXEC mode.
Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.
Step 3

ap mgmtuser username user_name password 0 passsword secret 0 secret_value

Example:

Device(config)# ap mgmtuser apusr1
 password appass 0 secret 0 appass1

Configures the global username and password and enables the password for all access points that are currently joined to the device and any access points that join the device in the future. In the command, the parameter 0 specifies that an unencrypted password will follow and 8 specifies that an AES encrypted password will follow.

Step 4

end

Example:

Device(config)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Step 5

ap name Cisco_AP mgmtuser username user_name password password secret secret

Example:

Device(config)# ap name TSIM_AP-2
 mgmtuser apusr1 password appass secret secret

Overrides the global credentials for a specific access point and assigns a unique username and password and enables password to this access point.

The credentials that you enter in this command are retained across device and access point reboots and if the access point joins a new device.
Note 

If you want to force this access point to use the device’s global credentials, enter the ap name Cisco_AP no mgmtuser command. The following message appears after you execute this command: “AP reverted to global username configuration.”

Step 6

show ap summary

Example:


Device# show ap summary

Displays a summary of all connected Cisco APs.

Step 7

show ap name Cisco_AP config general

Example:

Device# show ap name AP02 config general

Displays the global credentials configuration for a specific access point.

Note 

If this access point is configured for global credentials, the AP User Mode text boxes shows “Automatic.” If the global credentials have been overwritten for this access point, the AP User Mode text box shows “Customized.”

Configuring Authentication for Access Points (CLI)

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. ap dot1x username user_name_value password 0 password_value
  4. end
  5. ap name Cisco_AP dot1x-user username username_value password password_value
  6. configure terminal
  7. no ap dot1x username user_name_value password 0 password_value
  8. end
  9. show ap summary
  10. show ap name Cisco_AP config general

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:

Device# enable

Enters privileged EXEC mode.
Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.
Step 3

ap dot1x username user_name_value password 0 password_value

Example:

Device(config)# ap dot1x username AP3 password 0
 password

Configures the global authentication username and password for all access points that are currently joined to the device and any access points that join the device in the future. This command contains the following keywords and arguments:

  • username—Specifies an 802.1X username for all access points.

  • user-id—Username.

  • password—Specifies an 802.1X password for all access points.

  • 0—Specifies an unencrypted password.

  • 8—Specifies an AES encrypted password.

  • passwd—Password.

Note 

You must enter a strong password for the password parameter. Strong passwords are at least eight characters long, contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and are not a word in any language.

Step 4

end

Example:

Device(config)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Step 5

ap name Cisco_AP dot1x-user username username_value password password_value

Example:

Device# ap name AP03 dot1x-user
 username apuser1 password appass

Overrides the global authentication settings and assigns a unique username and password to a specific access point. This command contains the following keywords and arguments:

  • username—Specifies to add a username.

  • user-id—Username.

  • password—Specifies to add a password.

  • 0—Specifies an unencrypted password.

  • 8—Specifies an AES encrypted password.

  • passwd—Password.

Note 

You must enter a strong password for the password parameter. See the note in Step 2 for the characteristics of strong passwords.

The authentication settings that you enter in this command are retained across device and access point reboots and whenever the access point joins a new device.

Step 6

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.
Step 7

no ap dot1x username user_name_value password 0 password_value

Example:

Device(config)# no ap dot1x username
 dot1xusr password 0 dot1xpass

Disables 802.1X authentication for all access points or for a specific access point.

The following message appears after you execute this command: “AP reverted to global username configuration.”
Note 

You can disable 802.1X authentication for a specific access point only if global 802.1X authentication is not enabled. If global 802.1X authentication is enabled, you can disable 802.1X for all access points only.

Step 8

end

Example:

Device(config)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Step 9

show ap summary

Example:

Device# show ap summary

Displays the authentication settings for all access points that join the device.

Note 

If global authentication settings are not configured, the Global AP Dot1x User Name text box shows “Not Configured.”
Step 10

show ap name Cisco_AP config general

Example:

Device# show ap name AP02 config general

Displays the authentication settings for a specific access point.

Note 

If this access point is configured for global authentication, the AP Dot1x User Mode text boxes shows “Automatic.” If the global authentication settings have been overwritten for this access point, the AP Dot1x User Mode text box shows “Customized.”

Configuring the Switch for Authentication (CLI)


Note

The procedure to perform this task using the device GUI is not currently available.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. dot1x system-auth-control
  4. aaa new-model
  5. aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
  6. radius-server host host_ip_adress acct-port port_number auth-port port_number key 0 unencryptied_server_key
  7. interface TenGigabitEthernet1/0/1
  8. switch mode access
  9. dot1x pae authenticator
  10. end

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:

Device# enable

Enters privileged EXEC mode.
Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.
Step 3

dot1x system-auth-control

Example:

Device(config)# dot1x system-auth-control

Enables system authentication control.
Step 4

aaa new-model

Example:

Device(config)# aaa new-model

Enables new access control commands and functions.
Step 5

aaa authentication dot1x default group radius

Example:

Device(config)# aaa authentication
 dot1x default group radius

Sets the default authentications lists for IEEE 802.1X by using all the radius hosts in a server group.
Step 6

radius-server host host_ip_adress acct-port port_number auth-port port_number key 0 unencryptied_server_key

Example:

Device(config)# radius-server host
 10.1.1.1 acct-port 1813 auth-port 6225 key 0 encryptkey

Sets a clear text encryption key for the RADIUS authentication server.

Step 7

interface TenGigabitEthernet1/0/1

Example:

Device(config)# interface
 TenGigabitEthernet1/0/1

Sets the 10-Gigbit Ethernet interface.

The command prompt changes from Controller(config)# to Controller(config-if)#.
Step 8

switch mode access

Example:

Device(config-if)# switch mode access

Sets the unconditional truncking mode access to the interface.
Step 9

dot1x pae authenticator

Example:

Device(config-if)# dot1x pae
 authenticator

Sets the 802.1X interface PAE type as the authenticator.
Step 10

end

Example:

Device(config)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Configuration Examples for Configuring Authentication for Access Points

Displaying the Authentication Settings for Access Points: Examples

This example shows how to display the authentication settings for all access points that join the device: 

Device# show ap summary
Number of APs.................................... 1
Global AP User Name.............................. globalap
Global AP Dot1x User Name........................ globalDot1x

This example shows how to display the authentication settings for a specific access point:

Device# show ap name AP02 config dot11 24ghz general
Cisco AP Identifier.............................. 0
Cisco AP Name.................................... TSIM_AP2
...
AP Dot1x User Mode............................... AUTOMATIC
AP Dot1x User Name............................... globalDot1x