Example for Configuring Portal Authentication to Control User Access

Portal Authentication Overview

As one of NAC authentication modes, Portal authentication is also called web authentication. Generally, Portal authentication websites are also called Portal websites. When users go online, they must be authenticated on Portal websites. The users can use network resources only after they pass the authentication.

Portal authentication cannot ensure high security, but it does not require client software installation and provides flexible deployment. Another two NAC authentication methods have their advantages and disadvantages: 802.1X authentication ensures high security, but it requires that 802.1X client software be installed on user terminals, causing inflexible network deployment. MAC address authentication does not require client software installation, but MAC addresses must be registered on an authentication server, resulting in complex management.

Portal authentication is applied to scenarios where a large number of scattered users such as company visitors move frequently.

Configuration Notes

This configuration example applies to all switches running all versions.

When you run the access-user arp-detect command to configure the IP address and MAC address of the user gateway as the source IP address and source MAC address of user offline detection packets, ensure that the MAC address of the gateway remains unchanged, especially in active/standby switchover scenarios. If the gateway MAC address is changed, ARP entries of terminals will be incorrect on the device, and the terminals cannot communicate with the device.

Networking Requirements

As shown in Figure 1, the terminals in the visitor area are connected to the company's internal network through the Switch. Unauthorized access to the internal network can damage the company's service system and cause leakage of key information. Therefore, the administrator requires that the Switch should control the users' network access rights to ensure internal network security.

Figure 1 Configuring Portal authentication to control user access

Configuration Roadmap

The configuration roadmap is as follows:

Create and configure a RADIUS server template, an AAA scheme, and an authentication domain. Bind the RADIUS server template and AAA scheme to the authentication domain so that the Switch can authenticate access users through the RADIUS server.
Enable Portal authentication so that the Switch can control network access rights of the visitors in the visitor areas.
Configure a Portal server template so that the device can communicate with the Portal server.

Before configuring this example, ensure that devices can communicate with each other on the network.

Procedure

Create VLANs and configure the VLANs allowed by the interface to ensure network communication.

# Create VLAN 10 and VLAN 20.

<HUAWEI> system-view
[HUAWEI] sysname Switch
[Switch] vlan batch 10 20

# On the Switch, configure the interface GE0/0/1 connected to users as an access interface and add the interface to VLAN 10.

[Switch] interface gigabitethernet0/0/1
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] port link-type access
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] port default vlan 10 
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] quit
[Switch] interface vlanif 10
[Switch-Vlanif10] ip address 192.168.1.10 24
[Switch-Vlanif10] quit

Configure the interface type and VLANs based on the site requirements. In this example, users are added to VLAN 10.

# On the Switch, configure the interface GE0/0/2 connected to the RADIUS server as an access interface and add the interface to VLAN 20.

[Switch] interface gigabitethernet0/0/2
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/2] port link-type access
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/2] port default vlan 20
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/2] quit

Create and configure a RADIUS server template, an AAA scheme, and an authentication domain.
# Create and configure the RADIUS server template rd1.
```
[Switch] radius-server template rd1
[Switch-radius-rd1] radius-server authentication 192.168.2.30 1812
[Switch-radius-rd1] radius-server shared-key cipher Huawei@2012
[Switch-radius-rd1] quit
```
# Create an AAA authentication scheme abc and configure the authentication mode to RADIUS.
```
[Switch] aaa
[Switch-aaa] authentication-scheme abc
[Switch-aaa-authen-abc] authentication-mode radius
[Switch-aaa-authen-abc] quit
```
# Create an authentication domain isp1, and bind the AAA scheme abc and RADIUS server template rd1 to the domain isp1.
```
[Switch-aaa] domain isp1
[Switch-aaa-domain-isp1] authentication-scheme abc
[Switch-aaa-domain-isp1] radius-server rd1
[Switch-aaa-domain-isp1] quit
[Switch-aaa] quit
```
# Configure isp1 as the global default domain. During access authentication, enter a user name in the format user@isp1 to perform AAA authentication in the domain isp1. If the user name does not contain the domain name or contains an invalid domain name, the user is authenticated in the default domain.
```
[Switch] domain isp1
```
Configure Portal authentication on the Switch.
# Switch the NAC mode to unified mode.
```
[Switch] authentication unified-mode
```
After the common mode and unified mode are switched, the device automatically restarts.
# Enable Portal authentication on the interface GE0/0/1.
```
[Switch] interface gigabitethernet0/0/1
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] authentication portal
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] authentication mode multi-authen max-user 100
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] quit
```
# Create and configure a Portal server template abc.
```
[Switch] web-auth-server abc
[Switch-web-auth-server-abc] server-ip 192.168.2.20
[Switch-web-auth-server-abc] port 50200
[Switch-web-auth-server-abc] url http://192.168.2.20:8080/webagent
[Switch-web-auth-server-abc] shared-key cipher Huawei@123
[Switch-web-auth-server-abc] quit
```
Ensure that the port number configured on the device is the same as that used by the Portal server.
# Bind the Portal server template abc to the interface GE0/0/1.
```
[Switch] interface gigabitethernet0/0/1
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] web-auth-server abc direct
[Switch-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] quit
```
In this example, users are allocated static IP addresses. If the users obtain IP addresses through DHCP and the DHCP server is upstream connected to Switch, use the authentication free-rule command to create authentication-free rules and ensure that the DHCP server is included in the authentication-free rules.

In addition, if the URL of Portal server needs to be analyzed by DNS and the DNS server is upstream connected to Switch, you also need to create authentication-free rules and ensure that the DNS server is included in the authentication-free rules.

# (Recommended) Configure the source IP address and source MAC address for offline detection packets in a specified VLAN. You are advised to set the user gateway IP address and its corresponding MAC address as the source IP address and source MAC address of offline detection packets. This function does not take effect for users who use Layer 3 Portal authentication.
```
[Switch] access-user arp-detect vlan 10 ip-address 192.168.1.10 mac-address 2222-1111-1234
```
Verify the configuration.
1. Run the display portal and display web-auth-server configuration commands to check the external Portal authentication configuration. The command output (web-auth-server layer2(direct)) shows that the Portal server template has been bound to the interface GE0/0/1.
2. After starting the browser and entering any network address, the user is redirected to the Portal authentication page. The user then enters the user name and password for authentication.
3. If the user name and password are correct, an authentication success message is displayed on the Portal authentication page. The user can access the network.
4. After the user goes online, you can run the display access-user access-type portal command on the device to check the online Portal authentication user information.

Configuration Files

Configuration file of the Switch

#
sysname Switch
#
vlan batch 10 20
#
domain isp1 #
radius-server template rd1
 radius-server shared-key cipher %^%#Q75cNQ6IF(e#L4WMxP~%^7'u17,]D87GO{"[o]`D%^%#
 radius-server authentication 192.168.2.30 1812 weight 80#                                                                                web-auth-server abc                                                               server-ip 192.168.2.20                                                           port 50200                                                                       shared-key cipher %^%#t:hJ@gD7<+G&,"Y}Y[VP4\foQ&og/Gg(,J4#\!gD%^%#                               url http://192.168.2.20:8080/webagent                                          
#
aaa
 authentication-scheme abc
  authentication-mode radius  
 domain isp1
  authentication-scheme abc
  radius-server rd1#
interface Vlanif10
 ip address 192.168.1.10 255.255.255.0
#
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1
 port link-type access
 port default vlan 10 authentication portal
 authentication mode multi-authen max-user 100     web-auth-server abc direct   
#
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/2
 port link-type access
 port default vlan 20   #                                                                               
return