An Ethernet port on a RUCKUS ICX switch can be configured to perform two distinct and primary 802.1X functions.

1. Supplicant: The port can act as a client (Supplicant) to another 802.1X-aware device that is functioning as an authenticator. This is typically used for authenticating switch-to-switch connections.

2. Authenticator: The port's most common function is to act as an Authenticator, controlling network access for connected clients (supplicants). The Authenticator role has several operational modes, with Port-based Authenticator being the fundamental and default mode. In this mode, once a single supplicant successfully authenticates, the entire port is authorized for traffic.

These two options represent the primary, mutually exclusive roles a port can be configured to perform within an Ethernet Port Profile.

B. Authentication Server: The switch acts as a pass-through authenticator; it forwards credential checks to a separate Authentication Server (e.g., RADIUS), but never performs this role itself.

D. Host-based Authenticator: This is a specific mode of the authenticator role, not a fundamentally different role from Port-based Authenticator for the purpose of this question's scope.

E. MAC-based Authenticator: This is another specific mode of the authenticator role (also known as multi-supplicant), not a distinct primary role like "Supplicant" or "Authenticator".

1. RUCKUS FastIron Security Configuration Guide, 08.0.95 (Document Part Number: 53-1005233-01)

Page 33, Section "802.1X supplicant support": "The 802.1X supplicant feature allows a RUCKUS device to act as a supplicant to another 802.1X-aware device that is acting as an authenticator." This confirms the Supplicant role.

Page 34, Section "802.1X authentication modes": This section details the different modes for the authenticator role, listing "Port-based authentication" as the first and most basic mode. It states, "In port-based authentication, the port is the supplicant. Once the port is authenticated by the RADIUS server, all traffic from the host or hosts connected to the port is allowed on the port." This confirms the Port-based Authenticator role/mode.

The SmartZone Trace Tool is a dedicated troubleshooting utility designed to capture and display network packets exchanged between the SmartZone controller and a specific Access Point (AP) or client device. This functionality provides the necessary packet-level visibility to diagnose and resolve communication failures, such as issues with the control and provisioning of wireless access points (CAPWAP/LWAPP) tunnels. The tool allows administrators to filter captures and download the results in a .pcap format for detailed analysis in applications like Wireshark.

A. AP Debug Mode: This enables more verbose logging on the AP itself, providing detailed system messages and events, but it does not capture raw network packets.

C. Network Health Dashboard: This offers a high-level, graphical overview of the network's status, performance metrics, and trends, not granular packet-level data for troubleshooting.

D. Cluster Diagnostics: This tool is used to troubleshoot health, synchronization, and communication issues between the controller nodes within a SmartZone cluster.

1. RUCKUS SmartZone 6.0.0 Administrator Guide (Part Number: 800-72839-001, Rev A)

Chapter 43: Troubleshooting Tools, Section: "Using the Trace Tool", Page 1118: "The Trace Tool allows you to capture and view packets that are sent between the controller and an AP or a client device... You can use the Trace Tool to troubleshoot AP-to-controller communication failures..."

2. RUCKUS SmartZone 5.2.1 Administrator Guide (Part Number: 800-72191-001, Rev B)

Chapter 41: Troubleshooting Tools, Section: "Using the Trace Tool", Page 1012: "The Trace Tool allows you to capture and view packets that are sent between the controller and an AP or a client device. The Trace Tool captures packets on the controller's control plane interface... You can use the Trace Tool to troubleshoot AP-to-controller communication failures..."

3. RUCKUS SmartZone 3.6.2 Administrator Guide (Part Number: 800-71651-001, Rev A)

Chapter 35: Troubleshooting Tools, Section: "Using the Trace Tool", Page 788: This section provides a similar description, confirming the tool's purpose is to "capture and view packets that are sent between the controller and an AP or a client device." This demonstrates the long-standing function of this specific tool.

Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is a measurement of the power present in a received radio signal. In 802.11 wireless networking, this power level is most commonly expressed in dBm, which stands for decibels relative to one milliwatt. The dBm scale is logarithmic, making it ideal for representing the very wide range of signal power levels encountered in RF environments. A stronger signal is represented by a value closer to zero (e.g., -40 dBm), while a weaker signal has a more negative value (e.g., -85 dBm).

A. dBi: Measures the gain of an antenna relative to a theoretical isotropic antenna, not the received signal power.

C. Watts: A linear unit of power. While technically correct, it is not commonly used for displaying RSSI due to the large dynamic range of RF signals.

D. Ohms: The unit of electrical resistance and is unrelated to the measurement of signal power.

1. RUCKUS Unleashed 200.7 User Guide: In the section for monitoring wireless clients, the user interface displays a "Signal" column with values explicitly measured in dBm. For example, a client's signal strength is shown as "-54 dBm". (See Chapter: "Monitoring and Viewing Network Health," Section: "Wireless Clients," Page 161).

2. RUCKUS SmartZone 5.2.1 Administrator Guide: The client monitoring dashboard includes a column labeled "Signal (dBm)," which directly confirms that dBm is the unit used to display the received signal strength of connected clients. (See Chapter 11: "Monitoring Wireless Clients," Section: "Viewing Wireless Client Details," Page 398).

3. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (7th ed.). Pearson. This foundational networking textbook explains that wireless signal strength is measured on a logarithmic scale, typically in dBm, to manage the vast differences between transmitted and received power. (See Chapter 6: The Link Layer and LANs, Section 6.3: Wireless Links and Networks).

4. Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science, Course 15-441/641: Computer Networks, Fall 2017, Lecture 20: Wireless: The lecture slides explicitly state that signal strength is measured in dBm and provide a table correlating dBm values to signal quality (e.g., -30 dBm is "Excellent"). This confirms the academic and industry standard.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association specifically created to promote Wi-Fi technology and ensure the interoperability of wireless products. It manages the "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™" program, a testing and certification process that guarantees devices from different vendors meet specific standards for interoperability, security (e.g., WPA3), and performance. While the IEEE creates the foundational 802.11 standards, the Wi-Fi Alliance is the body that certifies products based on those standards, giving consumers confidence that certified devices will work together correctly.

B. The IETF develops and promotes internet standards (RFCs) for higher-level protocols like TCP/IP, not for certifying wireless hardware interoperability.

C. The ISO is a broad international body that develops standards for numerous industries but does not have a specific program for certifying Wi-Fi devices.

D. The IEEE is a professional organization that develops and maintains the technical 802.11 standards (the foundation for Wi-Fi), but it does not test or certify commercial products.

1. RUCKUS Certified Wireless Associate (RCWA) 100 Study Guide (2015). In the section "Wi-Fi Standards and Certifications," it states, "The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association... devoted to ensuring the interoperability of wireless LAN products." It further clarifies, "The IEEE defines the standards, but it does not test products for compliance." (Page 1-10).

2. Wi-Fi Alliance Official Website. The "Who We Are" page states: "Our work includes developing innovative technologies, standards, and programs that lead the industry forward; and our Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ program is the global standard for ensuring Wi-Fi products provide the best user experience." This confirms their role as the certifying body.

3. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. (2021). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (8th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 7, Section 7.2.1, "The 802.11 Architecture," distinguishes between the IEEE 802.11 standard and the Wi-Fi Alliance, noting the Alliance's role in certifying the interoperability of 802.11 equipment.

RUCKUS SmartZone controllers support three primary types of external Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) servers for authenticating network clients. These are Active Directory (AD), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), and RADIUS. AD and LDAP are primarily used as authentication sources, allowing SmartZone to query their user databases. RADIUS is a full-featured AAA protocol that handles authentication, authorization, and accounting services. These services can be configured as either proxy (forwarding requests) or non-proxy (terminating requests) authentication methods depending on the network design.

C. SAML: SAML is supported for specific use cases like administrative Single Sign-On (SSO) or guest portal authentication via an Identity Provider (IdP), not as a general-purpose AAA server for network clients.

D. OAuth: OAuth is an authorization framework used for specific applications, such as social media logins for guest wireless access, but it is not a configurable external AAA server type for general network authentication.

F. TACACS+: TACACS+ is a protocol typically used for device administration (authenticating administrators logging into network equipment) and is not a supported AAA service for client authentication on SmartZone.

1. RUCKUS SmartZone 6.1.1 Administrator Guide (Part Number: 800-73043-001 Rev A)

Page 509, Chapter 23: Configuring AAA Servers: The guide explicitly states, "SmartZone supports the following types of AAA servers: RADIUS, Active Directory, and LDAP." This section details the configuration for each of these three services.

2. RUCKUS SmartZone 6.0.0 Hotspot (WISPr) Configuration Guide (Part Number: 800-72890-001 Rev A)

Page 38, Section: Configuring an AAA Server: This document reiterates the supported server types in the context of Hotspot services: "You can configure SmartZone to use one of the following external authentication servers: RADIUS, Active Directory, LDAP."

3. RUCKUS SmartZone 5.2.1 Administrator Guide (Part Number: 800-72263-001 Rev B)

Page 389, Chapter 21: Configuring AAA Servers: This earlier version of the guide also confirms the same set of supported services, indicating long-standing support. The introductory paragraph states, "SmartZone supports the following types of AAA servers: RADIUS, Active Directory, and LDAP."