{"id":34807,"date":"2022-06-20T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=34807"},"modified":"2023-06-16T16:03:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T20:03:49","slug":"radius-pros-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/radius-pros-cons","title":{"rendered":"RADIUS Authentication Pros & Cons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RADIUS authentication has been around for decades, but IT professionals still debate whether it should be the go-to service for managing and authenticating users. Although, over time, the technology landscape has developed to include a variety of authentication protocols, RADIUS authentication continues to offer significant value in modern IT environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, we\u2019ve broken down exactly what RADIUS<\/a> authentication is, as well as the pros and cons of RADIUS<\/a> that IT admins should evaluate with respect to its implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is RADIUS Authentication?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At its most basic, RADIUS authentication is an acronym that stands for Remote Authentication Dial in User Service. Livingston Enterprises, Inc.<\/a> developed it as an authentication and accounting protocol in response to Merit Network\u2019s<\/a> 1991 call for a creative way to manage dial-in access<\/a> to various Points-Of-Presence (POPs) across its network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RADIUS utilizes the client\/server model<\/a> to authenticate and authorize users to login to a network or network infrastructure gear. It works by sending client requests for access to the RADIUS server for verification. These requests are formatted like a package, including the client\u2019s username, password, IP address, and port, which are then queried in the database for potential matches. Depending on the information received, and whether it is correct, the server will return with an action to either accept, reject, or challenge access to the requested service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it was initially developed to replace proprietary dial-in services, RADIUS provides centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) management for users who connect to and use a particular network. Over time, this concept has been expanded to include a variety of protocols and modern networks. Traditional AAA management still exists on-prem, but more recently, cloud-based RADIUS authentication has risen in popularity and become the choice solution for many modern organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pros and Cons of RADIUS Authentication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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