Configuring Port MAC Security

This task guides you through the process of enabling Port MAC Security on a switch port and applying relevant settings to secure network access.

Perform the following steps to configure Port MAC Security.

  1. From the main menu, select Network > Wired > Switches.
    The Switches window is displayed.
  2. Select a switch.
  3. In the Details area, click the Ports tab.
  4. In the Port Details section, select a port you want to enable this feature, and then click Port MAC Security.

    The Port MAC Security window is displayed.

    Enabling Port MAC Security

    Enabling Port MAC Security
  5. Configure the following parameters.
    Note: If the optional fields are left empty, the switch will use the globally configured default values.
    1. Enable (Optional): Click the toggle button to enable (ON) Port MAC Security.
      Note: The controller allows you to configure and store Port MAC Security parameters even when the feature is disabled. These configurations are retained and will be applied automatically once the feature is enabled.
    2. Delete (Optional): Click Delete to remove the entire Port MAC Security configuration from the selected port. The Delete button becomes active only after Port MAC Security is enabled or a configuration exists.
    3. Maximum (Optional): Enter the number of secured MAC addresses allowed on the port.
      Note: The range of MAC addresses that can be learned per port is from 1 through 8,256.
    4. Age (Optional): Enter the aging time (in minutes) after which a dynamically learned MAC address is removed.
      Note: The aging time ranges from 1 through 1,440 minutes.
    5. Auto Save (Optional): Enter an interval, in minutes. This option allows the switch to automatically save the list of secure MAC addresses to the startup configuration at specified intervals. This ensures that the secure MAC addresses are persistent across reboots, maintaining network security without requiring manual reconfiguration after each reboot.
        Note:
      • The Auto Save field accepts the value from 15 through 1,440.
      • The Auto Save setting is a switch-level property. Updating this option for one port will apply the change to all Port MAC Security configurations on the switch.

        Example: If there are Port MAC Security configurations on ports 1/1/2 and 1/1/3, and you set Auto Save to 30 on port 1/1/3, the Auto Save value on port 1/1/2 will also be updated to 30.

    6. Violation (Optional): Select any one of the following actions when an unauthorized MAC address attempts access:
      • Protect: Hard drop packets from violating MACs and do not shut down the port based on violating MAC limit/threshold.
        Note: This is the default mode.
      • Restrict: Drop packets from violating MACs and shut down the port if violating MAC count exceeds 12.
      • Shutdown: Upon violation, shut down the port for a specified time period.
    7. Violation Minute: Specify how long the port remains shut down after violation. The default value is 0 which shuts down the port permanently when a security violation occurs. The shutdown time which serves as a recovery interval, brings up the port within a configured time without any manual intervention.
      Note: The Violation Minute setting is applicable only when the Violation mode is set to Restrict or Shutdown modes. In these modes, the Violation Minute accepts values ranging from 0 through 1,440.
    8. Secure Mac: Allows you to enter MAC addresses with VLAN IDs, up to the number specified in the Maximum field.
      Note: When assigning a VLAN ID to the secure MAC address, make sure the VLAN exists in the switch and the port is part of the VLAN as either a tagged or untagged member.

      You can perform the following operations:

      • Click Create to add a new MAC address.
      • Click Update to update the entered MAC address in the MAC addresses list.
      • Click Cancel to exit without saving the entry.
      • Click Delete to remove the MAC address from the MAC addresses list.

  6. Click OK to save the configuration.
    You can view the Port MAC Security configuration by clicking the Configuration tab and viewing the information provided in the Configuration History section.
  7. Click Cancel to exit the Port MAC Security configuration page without saving the changes.
Parent topic: Port MAC Security