Which standard is used for port-based authentication controlling access to LANs and WLANs?

Which standard is used for port-based authentication controlling access to LANs and WLANs?

• A. MAC filtering
• B. IEEE 802.1X
• C. air-gapped
• D. Compute

Answer: (B)

Port-based access control is achieved with IEEE 802.1X. This standard provides a way for devices to prove their identity before being allowed onto the network, whether wired or wireless. In this setup, there are three roles: the device trying to connect (the supplicant), the network device controlling access (the authenticator, such as a switch or an access point), and the server that validates credentials (often a RADIUS-based authentication server). While a device hasn’t authenticated yet, the port remains restricted and only authentication frames (EAPOL) can pass; once authentication succeeds, the port is opened and normal network traffic is allowed. That combination—authentication at the port level to grant or deny access to the LAN or WLAN—is exactly what 802.1X provides. Other options don’t fit because MAC filtering, while sometimes used as a basic gate, can be spoofed and doesn’t enforce real-time port-based authentication for all devices. An air-gapped setup means there’s no network connectivity at all, which isn’t about controlling access to a network. And a nonsensical option like “Compute” isn’t a standard for this purpose.

Port-based access control is achieved with IEEE 802.1X. This standard provides a way for devices to prove their identity before being allowed onto the network, whether wired or wireless. In this setup, there are three roles: the device trying to connect (the supplicant), the network device controlling access (the authenticator, such as a switch or an access point), and the server that validates credentials (often a RADIUS-based authentication server). While a device hasn’t authenticated yet, the port remains restricted and only authentication frames (EAPOL) can pass; once authentication succeeds, the port is opened and normal network traffic is allowed. That combination—authentication at the port level to grant or deny access to the LAN or WLAN—is exactly what 802.1X provides.

Other options don’t fit because MAC filtering, while sometimes used as a basic gate, can be spoofed and doesn’t enforce real-time port-based authentication for all devices. An air-gapped setup means there’s no network connectivity at all, which isn’t about controlling access to a network. And a nonsensical option like “Compute” isn’t a standard for this purpose.