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Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine
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CiscoFoundationOn requestUpdated: July 2026
802.1X Training for Your Team — Introduction to 802.1X Operations for Cisco Security Professionals
Every 802.1X rollout has the same failure mode: it works in the lab, then day one in production locks out a conference room, three printers and someone important. Introduction to 802.1X Operations for Cisco Security Professionals exists to prevent that morning — a foundation course on how port-based authentication really works, which EAP method fits which environment, how to handle devices that cannot authenticate, and why every sane deployment starts in monitor mode.
It is deliberately lighter than the full SISE implementation course: no certification exam, no deep ISE policy engineering — just the operational understanding that makes the later ISE project succeed. Teams typically take it before committing to a NAC rollout, or send operations and helpdesk staff through it so the whole chain understands what changed on the ports.
We organize delivery through authorized partners, confirming the current course version and duration with your quote — live online in your time zone, on site, or as a private group ahead of your own deployment.
Who this course is for
- Network engineers about to run their first NAC or 802.1X deployment
- Security teams evaluating network access control before committing to a full ISE project
- Helpdesk and operations staff who will field the "I cannot get on the network" tickets
- Engineers who want the concepts settled before taking the full SISE course
What your team will learn
Topic areas below are grouped in our own words. The full official agenda is available on request — it comes from the authorized partner as part of your quote.
- How port-based authentication actually works: supplicant, authenticator, RADIUS — and who blames whom when it fails
- EAP methods demystified: choosing between certificates and credentials without a religious war
- Handling the printers, cameras and door controllers that will never authenticate themselves
- Monitor mode first: deploying 802.1X without locking the CFO out of the network
- Wired and wireless access policy from one identity source
- Reading authentication logs and fixing the failures that follow every rollout
Key facts
| Duration | On request |
|---|---|
| Level | Foundation |
| Prerequisites | CCNA-level networking knowledge; no prior network access control experience required |
| Formats | Live online (VILT), On-site at your location, Private group, Seats in scheduled groups |
| Languages | English + local-language instructors on request |
Formats and how we organize it
- Live online (VILT)
- On-site at your location
- Private group
- Seats in scheduled groups
One request → three options
Fill in the form below — it takes a couple of minutes. Within 5 business days you compare 2–3 concrete offers — provider, instructor, dates, price below the public list. We contract and administer the delivery end to end. Details:how we work and vendor training.
802.1X vs alternatives: which to choose
Factual criteria only — level, duration, audience and certification. The right choice depends on your team's starting point and stack.
Cisco SISE (Identity Services Engine)
The full 5-day implementation course for ISE: policy design, profiling, posture, guest access, and the 300-715 CCNP Security concentration exam. Choose SISE when the deployment project is confirmed; this introduction is the right first step when the team is still building the foundation.
Cisco SCOR (Security Core)
The broad CCNP Security core, where secure network access is one domain of six. Choose SCOR for engineers building a full security skill set; this course is narrower and lighter — 802.1X operations specifically, without certification pressure.
A custom intensive
Mid-rollout and struggling with a specific population — unmanageable devices, a flaky supplicant fleet, RADIUS failures? A short custom workshop on our materials can troubleshoot your deployment rather than introduce the topic.
Need only part of 802.1X?
If your team needs a subset of this program — or a mix of topics from several courses — we build a custom 2–4 day intensive on our own materials, shaped by your infrastructure. One custom program typically replaces 2–3 catalog courses.
Explore custom courses802.1X: frequently asked questions
Is this course a prerequisite for SISE?
Not formally, but it is the recommended warm-up for teams new to network access control. SISE moves quickly through 802.1X fundamentals to spend time on ISE policy, profiling and posture; participants who arrive with the foundations settled get far more from it.
Does the course require Cisco ISE experience?
No. It is an introduction: the 802.1X and RADIUS machinery, EAP methods, deployment phasing and troubleshooting are taught from first principles. The concepts apply to any standards-based NAC deployment, with examples drawn from Cisco infrastructure.
We have hundreds of devices that cannot do 802.1X — does the course address that?
Yes, directly. Handling non-authenticating endpoints — printers, cameras, industrial devices — through mechanisms like MAC-based fallback is one of the core topics, because it is where most first deployments stall in practice.
Is there an exam attached to this course?
No. This is a foundation course without a certification exam. Teams heading for CCNP Security take it as preparation, then continue with SCOR for the core exam and SISE for the identity concentration — we can plan that path as one sequence.
How do we organize 802.1X training?
Fill in the request form on this page — team size, format, timing. Within 5 business days you receive 2–3 options from authorized partners with vetted instructors, dates and prices below public lists.
Request 2–3 802.1X training options — quotes within 5 business days
No commitment — describe the task and we come back with concrete options, dates and prices.
Cisco, 802.1X and course names are trademarks of their respective owners. Uptime Skills is an independent training operator and is not affiliated with or endorsed byCisco. Official courses are delivered by authorized training partners.