---
title: "Wiznet 6K and 802.1x"
url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/forum/16075"
markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/forum/16075/md"
type: "Forum topic"
category: "Ethernet Chips"
author: "tomzooi"
created: "2026-05-08T03:07:56+09:00"
last_activity: "2026-05-08T10:40:43+09:00"
language: "en"
tags: ["MicroPython"]
views: 4
replies: 1
source: "WIZnet Makers forum (https://maker.wiznet.io/forum/)"
---

# Wiznet 6K and 802.1x

## Question

Asked by tomzooi on 2026-05-08 in Ethernet Chips.

Hello,

I am working on a project with a wiznet evaluation board (W6300-EVB-PICO2) and so far I get everything working quite well. However, I am now investigating the possibility of using 802.1x authentication (EAP-MD5 or EAP-TLS) with the w6300 ethernet chip.

My search in the documentation did not yield anything. Is it possible to do this in the chip directly, or do I need to capture the 802.1x EAP packets manually on the RP2 and respond to them somehow?

## Replies

### Reply 1 by Lihan__, 2026-05-08

Hello,

Thank you for the great question. Let me clarify the relationship between W6300 and 802.1x.

### 1. W6300 does not directly support 802.1x

W6300 is a **hardware TCP/IP offload chip**. This means:

- **Operating layer:** Layer 3-4 (Network/Transport)

- **802.1x operating layer:** Layer 2 (Link layer, port-level)

802.1x operates **before authentication is complete** when first connecting to a network port, which is outside W6300's design scope. W6300 only handles data communication after port access has been granted.

### 2. Implementation must be done at the FW (host) level

If 802.1x authentication is required, you would need to **implement an EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) stack in the host firmware of the W6300-EVB-PICO2**.

#### Implementation flow:

```plaintext
W6300-EVB-PICO2 host firmware (EAP stack)
    ↓
Raw Ethernet frame manipulation
    ↓
W6300 (just passes data through)
    ↓
Network switch/AP (handles 802.1x)
```

#### Technical challenges:

- Layer 2 packet control via raw socket is required

- Authentication timing is critical (timeout considerations)

- Existing implementations are limited (wpa_supplicant etc. are Linux/POSIX-based)

### 3. Question: Are you currently using MicroPython?

I noticed MicroPython is tagged on your post. Are you planning to implement this using MicroPython on the W6300-EVB-PICO2?

**If you are using MicroPython:**

- ❌ MicroPython's `socket` module only supports TCP/UDP

- ❌ Layer 2 raw socket control is not possible

- ❌ TLS library constraints make EAP-TLS implementation difficult

In this case, I would strongly recommend switching to **C/C++ firmware (Pico SDK or Arduino)**.

---

Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/forum/16075