You can configure an auth fail VLAN for each 802.1X port on a switch to provide limited services to clients that cannot access the guest VLAN. These clients are 802.1X-compliant and cannot access another VLAN because they fail the authentication process. An auth fail VLAN allows users without valid credentials in an authentication server (typically, visitors to an enterprise) to access a limited set of services. The administrator can control the services available to the auth fail VLAN.
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You can configure a VLAN to be both the guest VLAN and the auth fail VLAN if you want to provide the same services to both types of users.
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Without this feature, the client attempts and fails authentication indefinitely, and the switch port remains in the spanning-tree blocking state. With this feature, you can configure the switch port to be in the auth fail VLAN after a specified number of authentication attempts (the default value is 3 attempts).
The authenticator counts the failed authentication attempts for the client. When this count exceeds the configured maximum number of authentication attempts, the port moves to the auth fail VLAN. The failed attempt count increments when the RADIUS server replies with either an
EAP failure or an empty response without an EAP packet. When the port moves into the auth fail VLAN, the failed attempt counter resets.
Users who fail authentication remain in the auth fail VLAN until the next reauthentication attempt. A port in the auth fail VLAN tries to reauthenticate at configured intervals (the default is 60 seconds). If reauthentication fails, the port remains in the auth fail VLAN. If reauthentication is successful, the port moves either to the configured VLAN or to a VLAN sent by the RADIUS server. You can disable reauthentication. If you do this, the only way to restart the authentication process is for the port to receive a
link down or
EAP logoff event. It is recommended that you keep reauthentication enabled if a client might connect through a hub. When a client disconnects from the hub, the port might not receive the
link down or
EAP logoff
event.
After a port moves to the auth fail VLAN, a simulated EAP success message is sent to the client. This prevents clients from indefinitely attempting authentication. Some clients (for example, devices running Windows XP) cannot implement DHCP without EAP success.
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Auth fail VLANs are supported only on 802.1X ports in single-host mode and on Layer 2 ports.
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You can configure any active VLAN except an RSPAN VLAN or a voice VLAN as an 802.1X auth fail VLAN. The auth fail VLAN feature is not supported on trunk ports; it is supported only on access ports.
Other security features such as dynamic ARP Inspection, DHCP snooping, and IP source guard can be configured independently on an auth fail VLAN.