Behind every well-run hotspot is a system deciding who gets on, what they are allowed to do, and what happened during their session. That system is RADIUS, and the model it follows is called AAA. Portalista provides a cloud RADIUS server so you get all of this without running your own.
What AAA actually means
- Authentication: proving who a user is, through a voucher, an account, an OTP, or a social login.
- Authorization: deciding what that user is allowed, such as their speed, quota, and time limit.
- Accounting: recording the session, including start and stop times and data used.
A captive portal collects the login, but RADIUS is what enforces the decision and keeps the record. The two work together on every connection.
Why a cloud RADIUS server helps
Running RADIUS yourself means maintaining a server, securing it, and scaling it as you add sites. A cloud RADIUS server removes that burden. Every location points at the same hosted service, so access rules and identities are consistent everywhere, and a new site inherits the same control on day one.
From identity to policy
Because authorization is central, you can attach a different policy to each type of login, which is how tiered plans work. We cover that pairing in Wi-Fi login methods. And because accounting is always on, session records are ready for the log retention that public Wi-Fi requires, explained in public Wi-Fi log retention in Indonesia.
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Talk to our team about the specific needs of your project.