{"id":33258,"date":"2019-06-14T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=33258"},"modified":"2024-11-08T17:50:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T22:50:16","slug":"azure-ad-on-prem-wifi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/azure-ad-on-prem-wifi","title":{"rendered":"Extend Azure AD Identities to On-prem WiFi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Can you extend Microsoft<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span> Azure<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span> AD identities to on-prem WiFi networks? As more IT admins use Azure Active Directory<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup> <\/span>(AD) to manage their cloud infrastructure, some wonder if they can leverage those user identities with on-prem resources such as WiFi; macOS<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span>, Windows<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span>, and Linux<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span> systems; and more. Before we answer that question, let\u2019s first understand how we\u2019ve gotten to this point.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n With the advent of the cloud, the traditional on-prem, Windows network seems a relic of the past. After all, laptops, remote workers, and non-Windows systems (<\/span>Mac\u00ae<\/sup> and Linux<\/span><\/a>) have seen a rise in popularity. Apps like the Office\u2122 suite have shifted cloudward to Office 365\u2122, infrastructure is hosted in Azure, and other key facets of IT have moved to the cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, it doesn\u2019t make sense to host a wireless network in the cloud; WiFi needs users to be in physical proximity to a router \/ wireless access point (WAP) to truly be effective. What does make sense, though, is the idea of cloud-based identity management. Traditional identity management has always fallen on the shoulders of Microsoft Active Directory, the legacy on-prem directory service. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to the many non-Windows and cloud resources being leveraged by end users today, Active Directory\u2014as it was created\u2014is simply not fit to manage them. When Microsoft released Azure and its associated Azure Active Directory, many thought that Azure AD would be the cloud replacement for the on-prem directory service.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Time and time again<\/span><\/a>, Microsoft have denied that Azure AD is on-prem AD but in the cloud. Azure AD is obviously useful for managing Azure and Office 365 access, as well as limited web-application single sign-on (SSO) to select apps. It <\/span>struggles<\/span><\/a>, however, to manage systems or network access, to name a few of its shortcomings compared to AD proper.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nMicrosoft and the Cloud<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Traditional Microsoft Identity Management<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n