How RADIUS Works

A RADIUS application has two components:

  • RADIUS server

A computer equipped with server software (for example, a UNIX workstation) that is located at a central office or campus. The server has authentication and access information in a form that is compatible with the client. Typically, the database in the RADIUS server stores client information, user information, password, and access privileges, including the use of a shared secret. A network can have one server for both authentication and accounting, or one server for each service.

  • RADIUS client

A device, router, or a remote access server, equipped with client software, that typically resides on the same local area network (LAN) segment as the server. The client is the network access point between the remote users and the server.

The two RADIUS processes are