Introduction to Radius

GNU Radius is a software package that provides authentication and accounting services. The acronym RADIUS stands for Remote Authentication Dial In User Service and (in that form) usually denotes the underlying protocol name.

Historically, RADIUS servers were used as a means to authenticate the user coming from a dial-in connection, but GNU Radius is much more than an authentication system: it is an advanced, customizable, and extensible system for controlling access to the network.

GNU Radius has several built-in authentication and accounting methods. When these methods are not enough, it allows the administrator to implement any new method she deems convenient.

The GNU Radius package includes the server program, radiusd, which responds to authentication and accounting requests, and a set of accompanying programs designed to monitor the activity of the server and analyze the information it provides.

1.0 Overview