Cisco 3.3 - Manual (Page 85)

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User Guide for Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server
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Chapter 2 Deployment Considerations
Basic Deployment Factors for Cisco Secure ACS
Figure 2-3 Geographically Dispersed Network
Wireless Network
The wireless network access point is a relatively new client for AAA services. The
wireless access point (AP), such as the Cisco Aironet series, provides a bridged
connection for mobile end-user clients into the LAN. Authentication is absolutely
necessary due to the ease of access to the AP. Encryption is also necessary because
of the ease of eavesdropping on communications. As such, security plays an even
bigger role than in the dial-up scenario and is discussed in more detail later in this
section.
Scaling can be a serious issue in the wireless network. The mobility factor of the
wireless LAN (WLAN) requires considerations similar to those given to the
dial-up network. Unlike the wired LAN, however, the WLAN can be more readily
expanded. Though WLAN technology does have physical limits as to the number
of users that can be connected via an AP, the number of APs can grow quickly. As
with the dial-up network, you can structure your WLAN to allow full access for
all users, or to provide restricted access to different subnets between sites,
buildings, floors, or rooms. This raises a unique issue with the WLAN: the ability
of a user to “roam” between APs.
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