{"id":31697,"date":"2021-06-25T10:30:34","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T14:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=31697"},"modified":"2024-02-02T13:24:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T18:24:39","slug":"free-cloud-radius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/free-cloud-radius","title":{"rendered":"Free Cloud RADIUS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As more IT infrastructure components shift to the cloud, more IT admins are searching for a free cloud RADIUS solution. Historically, IT admins have had to implement their own RADIUS infrastructure, which is often time consuming, frustrating, and expensive. Initially, a popular way to do this was via FreeRADIUS<\/a>, an open-source solution that requires fairly intensive manual management. Now, cutting-edge cloud-based RADIUS<\/a> platforms are replacing the need for IT teams to run and manage their own RADIUS infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before diving into what this free Cloud RADIUS platform can do and how it works, it\u2019s important to step back and understand the value of RADIUS infrastructure. RADIUS started as an authentication, authorization, and accounting platform for dial-up networks. As such, this status was responsible for the apt acronym: the Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service<\/a> protocol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Over time, RADIUS became a mainstay for IT organizations and network operations teams to connect users to their network infrastructure, such as VPNs, switches, routers, etc. Unlike standard WiFi authentication, which uses shared SSID phrases as login credentials, RADIUS relies on using unique credentials for authentication. By doing so, RADIUS creates a more secure wireless network overall, as it only lets in identities that are trusted by the network, rather than any device with the correct passphrase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n RADIUS has become increasingly important for organizations to have set up as remote work has become the norm for many employees and the use of VPNs has skyrocketed. Not only that, but having RADIUS set up and ready to go as employees transition back into the office environment is a great practice for secure WiFi authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By increasing network security so effectively, RADIUS quickly became a go-to for IT teams after it was introduced. One of the most popular traditional RADIUS instances is FreeRADIUS. FreeRADIUS is an open-source implementation of RADIUS which is leveraged from on-prem servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While FreeRADIUS might be free to use, that doesn\u2019t mean it comes without cost. As an open-source solution, FreeRADIUS requires keen technical skills on the part of the IT admin implementing it. There is no preconfigured FreeRADIUS GUI<\/a>. Without advanced networking knowledge, IT admins are unable to properly and fully configure and maintain their FreeRADIUS instance in line with their organization\u2019s needs. Over time, these hurdles create a time-sucking blackhole for IT admins and network engineers, who already have enough on their plates as is.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is RADIUS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is FreeRADIUS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n