A method for user authentication, comprising: Sending, by a management station, an authentication request message of an authentication protocol to a managed device via a management protocol, and sending user authentication information to the managed device; and authenticating, by the managed device, the user via the authentication protocol or an authentication server according to the received user authentication information, and returning (16, 16') an authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol carrying an authentication result to the management station via the management protocol, characterized in that the authentication protocol comprises an extensible authentication protocol, EAP, and that the management protocol comprises an extensible markup language,XML,-based network configuration protocol, Netconf, wherein the sending of the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol via the management protocol comprises: adding, in the Netconf, an operation type for user identity authentication and an XML tag for EAP authentication message encapsulation, encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into the XML tag, and setting the XML tag in an operation associated with the operation type for user identity authentication, or that the management protocol comprises a simple network management protocol,SNMP,; wherein the sending of the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol via the management protocol comprises: adding a message type for user identity authentication in the SNMP, and encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into a message associated with the message type for user identity authentication. Sending, by a management station, an authentication request message of an authentication protocol to a managed device via a management protocol, and sending user authentication information to the managed device; and authenticating, by the managed device, the user via the authentication protocol or an authentication server according to the received user authentication information, and returning (16, 16') an authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol carrying an authentication result to the management station via the management protocol, characterized in that the authentication protocol comprises an extensible authentication protocol, EAP, and that the management protocol comprises an extensible markup language,XML,-based network configuration protocol, Netconf, wherein the sending of the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol via the management protocol comprises: adding, in the Netconf, an operation type for user identity authentication and an XML tag for EAP authentication message encapsulation, encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into the XML tag, and setting the XML tag in an operation associated with the operation type for user identity authentication, or that the management protocol comprises a simple network management protocol,SNMP,; wherein the sending of the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol via the management protocol comprises: adding a message type for user identity authentication in the SNMP, and encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into a message associated with the message type for user identity authentication. adding, in the Netconf, an operation type for user identity authentication and an XML tag for EAP authentication message encapsulation, encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into the XML tag, and setting the XML tag in an operation associated with the operation type for user identity authentication, or that the management protocol comprises a simple network management protocol,SNMP,; wherein the sending of the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol via the management protocol comprises: adding a message type for user identity authentication in the SNMP, and encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into a message associated with the message type for user identity authentication. adding a message type for user identity authentication in the SNMP, and encapsulating the authentication request message or authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into a message associated with the message type for user identity authentication.