diff --git a/frontend/e2e/fixtures/auth.ts b/frontend/e2e/fixtures/auth.ts
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/e2e/fixtures/auth.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+import { Page, BrowserContext } from '@playwright/test';
+
+/**
+ * Authentication fixture for E2E tests
+ * Handles login flows and session management
+ */
+
+export interface LoginCredentials {
+  username: string;
+  password: string;
+}
+
+export interface AuthSession {
+  token: string;
+  userId: string;
+  email: string;
+  isAdmin: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Perform LDAP authentication
+ */
+export async function loginWithLdap(
+  page: Page,
+  credentials: LoginCredentials,
+  baseUrl: string = 'http://localhost'
+): Promise<void> {
+  await page.goto(`${baseUrl}`);
+
+  // Wait for login form to appear
+  await page.waitForSelector('[data-testid="login-form"]', { timeout: 5000 });
+
+  // Fill in username
+  await page.fill('[data-testid="username-input"]', credentials.username);
+
+  // Fill in password
+  await page.fill('[data-testid="password-input"]', credentials.password);
+
+  // Click login button
+  await page.click('[data-testid="login-submit"]');
+
+  // Wait for navigation to inventory page
+  await page.waitForURL(`${baseUrl}/*`, { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Perform local user authentication
+ */
+export async function loginWithLocalUser(
+  page: Page,
+  credentials: LoginCredentials,
+  baseUrl: string = 'http://localhost'
+): Promise<void> {
+  await page.goto(`${baseUrl}`);
+
+  // Wait for identity check overlay
+  await page.waitForSelector('[data-testid="identity-check-overlay"]', { timeout: 5000 });
+
+  // Click "Local User" tab if it exists
+  const localUserTab = page.locator('[data-testid="local-user-tab"]');
+  if (await localUserTab.isVisible()) {
+    await localUserTab.click();
+  }
+
+  // Fill in username
+  await page.fill('[data-testid="local-username-input"]', credentials.username);
+
+  // Fill in password
+  await page.fill('[data-testid="local-password-input"]', credentials.password);
+
+  // Click login button
+  await page.click('[data-testid="local-login-submit"]');
+
+  // Wait for navigation to inventory page
+  await page.waitForURL(`${baseUrl}/*`, { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Logout from the application
+ */
+export async function logout(page: Page, baseUrl: string = 'http://localhost'): Promise<void> {
+  // Click logout button or menu
+  const logoutButton = page.locator('[data-testid="logout-button"]');
+  if (await logoutButton.isVisible()) {
+    await logoutButton.click();
+  } else {
+    // Try finding it in menu
+    const menu = page.locator('[data-testid="user-menu"]');
+    if (await menu.isVisible()) {
+      await menu.click();
+      await page.click('[data-testid="logout-menu-item"]');
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Wait for redirect to login
+  await page.waitForURL(`${baseUrl}/*`, { timeout: 5000 });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get authentication token from local storage
+ */
+export async function getAuthToken(page: Page): Promise<string | null> {
+  const token = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    return localStorage.getItem('auth_token') || sessionStorage.getItem('auth_token');
+  });
+  return token;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Set authentication token in local storage
+ */
+export async function setAuthToken(page: Page, token: string): Promise<void> {
+  await page.evaluate((t) => {
+    localStorage.setItem('auth_token', t);
+  }, token);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Clear authentication data
+ */
+export async function clearAuth(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    localStorage.removeItem('auth_token');
+    sessionStorage.removeItem('auth_token');
+    localStorage.removeItem('user_data');
+    sessionStorage.removeItem('user_data');
+  });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if user is authenticated
+ */
+export async function isAuthenticated(page: Page): Promise<boolean> {
+  const token = await getAuthToken(page);
+  return !!token;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get current user info from page
+ */
+export async function getCurrentUser(page: Page): Promise<{ username: string; email: string } | null> {
+  try {
+    const userData = await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const stored = localStorage.getItem('user_data') || sessionStorage.getItem('user_data');
+      return stored ? JSON.parse(stored) : null;
+    });
+    return userData;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Wait for authentication to complete
+ */
+export async function waitForAuth(page: Page, timeout: number = 5000): Promise<void> {
+  // Wait for either:
+  // 1. Token to be in storage
+  // 2. Navigation to happen
+  // 3. Auth overlay to disappear
+  await page.waitForFunction(
+    () => {
+      const token =
+        typeof window !== 'undefined'
+          ? localStorage.getItem('auth_token') || sessionStorage.getItem('auth_token')
+          : null;
+      return !!token;
+    },
+    { timeout }
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Verify login was successful by checking inventory page loaded
+ */
+export async function verifyLoginSuccess(page: Page, baseUrl: string = 'http://localhost'): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    // Check if we're on the inventory page
+    await page.waitForURL(/inventory|dashboard/, { timeout: 5000 });
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create test user via API (helper for setup)
+ */
+export async function createTestUserViaApi(
+  baseUrl: string,
+  token: string,
+  user: { username: string; password: string; email: string }
+): Promise<{ id: string; username: string }> {
+  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/api/admin/users`, {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers: {
+      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+      'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
+    },
+    body: JSON.stringify(user),
+  });
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to create user: ${response.statusText}`);
+  }
+
+  return response.json();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Delete test user via API (helper for cleanup)
+ */
+export async function deleteTestUserViaApi(
+  baseUrl: string,
+  token: string,
+  userId: string
+): Promise<void> {
+  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/api/admin/users/${userId}`, {
+    method: 'DELETE',
+    headers: {
+      'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
+    },
+  });
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to delete user: ${response.statusText}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Helper to setup admin context for tests
+ */
+export async function setupAdminContext(
+  context: BrowserContext,
+  baseUrl: string,
+  adminToken: string
+): Promise<void> {
+  // Add auth headers to all API requests
+  await context.addInitScript((token) => {
+    (window as any).__testAuthToken = token;
+  }, adminToken);
+}