What is the main advantage of EAP-FAST compared to EAP-TLS and PEAP?

EAP-FAST, which stands for Extensible Authentication Protocol - Flexible Authentication via Secure Tunneling, is designed to provide a lightweight alternative to EAP-TLS and PEAP without requiring certificates for both the client and server. This characteristic simplifies the deployment and management of the authentication infrastructure, as it eliminates the need for handling, distributing, and managing digital certificates.

This advantage is particularly significant in environments where the administrative overhead of managing certificates can be a barrier to implementing secure authentication. By not requiring certificates, EAP-FAST facilitates a swifter setup process, making it easier to deploy in various scenarios, especially in larger networks or organizations where scalability and management efficiency are key concerns.

In contrast, EAP-TLS requires client-side certificates, which necessitates a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to manage the certificates, and while PEAP offers a secure tunnel for authentication, it still involves a level of complexity related to certificate management. EAP-FAST's design effectively streamlines the authentication process while maintaining a suitable level of security.