Q: Controlling access at the Ethernet level

[Borja Marcos]

>   We have thought about using static MAC entries per port on managed 
> switches installed at the client endpoints, but that would require a 
> overwhelming budget. We are also thinking about L2TP and PPPoE, but I 
> am uncertain about compatibility.
>
>   What would you recommand ? Are there any other elegant solutions ?
>
>   I also heard about 802.1x technology and seems to be an interesting 
> and professional alternative; I just don't know how well supported is 
> on the server side, namely FreeBSD.

	802.1x needs switch support. A switch supporting 802.1x will probably 
support MAC address filtering at the port level. The same can be said 
about using VLANs; you would need a switch with multi-VLAN port 
support, something quite variable between manufacturers.

	Anyway, stackable switches in the $600 - $1000 price range would do 
it. Look at Cisco Catalyst or HP ProCurve. (Look at the low end of 
both, not the high-end models)





	Borja.