Patent ID: 8767526

Claim:
A network device comprising: a memory to store instructions; and a processor to execute the instructions to: generate a first 802.1x packet using a media access control (MAC) address, associated with a first device, the first 802.1x packet including a first username and password; and generate a second 802.1x packet using a second username and password received from a second device via a captive-portal web page; authenticate the first device with a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) server using a first Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) packet that includes the first 802.1x packet; authenticate the second device with the RADIUS server using a second EAP packet that includes the second 802.1x packet; receive a third EAP packet from a third device; authenticate the third device with the RADIUS server using the third EAP packet; create a supplicant to handle a previously unreceived type of identifier associated with a fourth device that does not include an 802.1x client; generate another 802.1x packet using the previously unreceived type of identifier, associated with the fourth device, as a username and password in the other 802.1x packet; and authenticate the fourth device with the RADIUS server using the other 802.1x packet.