Alcatel Lucent

Anthony Chow

L Michele Goodwin

Minka Nikolova

Vincent Vermeulen

Minika Nikolvoa

Michele Goodwin

A method comprises an operation for facilitating authentication of a client device attempting to connect to a port of a network element. Facilitating authentication includes determining whether the client device is configured for being authenticated using a first authentication mechanism and, in response to determining that the client device is not configured for being authenticated using the first authentication mechanism, determining whether the client device is configured for being authenticated using at least one other authentication mechanism. For each one of the authentication mechanisms, an operation is provided for providing the client device with network connectivity dependent upon a respective first classification policy structure in response to the client device being successfully authenticated and an operation is provided for providing the client device with network connectivity dependent upon a respective second classification policy structure different that the first classification policy structure in response to the client device failing to be successfully authenticated.

Facilitating heterogeneous authentication for allowing network access

Apparatus, and an associated method, for selectably providing access to a communication device connected to a network access port in a communication network. When a communication device is connected at the access port, its connection is detected by a detector. A determiner determines whether the communication device is 802.1x capable. If the device is non-802.1x capable, the device is assigned to a selected, non-secure VLAN by way of which to communicate.

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San Gabriel, CA, United States of America

Anthony Chow