Iljitsch van Beijnum wrote:
> Let's start with the last question first: there is no discussion of IEEE
> 802.1x and why that would be insufficient here.

  DHCP requests are broadcast, whereas EAPoL packets are not.  Perhaps
that makes a difference in certain networks.

> ... The other issue is
> how the authentication is started. If client is expected to initiate
> authentication in the first message, this means it's not possible to
> have a client that can seamlessly connect to multiple networks that
> require authentication

  There could be a DHCP response saying "authentication required", which
would key the new behavior.

> Also, one of the drafts mentions MD5, which is pretty much dead in the
> water with a huge hole in the hull right now, it's only a matter of time
> until it officially sinks.

  Using a non-MD5 authentication method would avoid security issues such
as broken MD5, and harvesting hashes of credentials.

> Further, I'd like to see a more general mechanism. Another situation
> where users need to provide credentials that can benefit from better
> standards are wifi hotspots. This situation is largely similar to the
> DSL situation with the exception that there is often no direct
> relationship with the operator of the hotspot and the user, so the user
> must either select a roaming partner and provide credentials appropriate
> for that roaming partner, or use some other interactive method to gain
> temporary access (scratch cards, credit card transactions).

  Most users at hotspots have figured this out already.  They select a
roaming partner, and get redirected to a branded login page.  This
appears to be sufficient for most purposes.

> This suggests that a mechanism where unauthenticated users are given
> temporary access to a walled garden and then full access at some later
> point would be more appropriate than a simple success/fail
> authentication method.

  Hotspots do this already.  Many switches have "default VLAN" fallbacks
for unauthenticated (802.1x) users.  I don't think any new technology is
needed here.

  Alan DeKok.


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