RADIUS is the acronym of Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service, a couple of client-server protocols defined originally in the 90s and then standardized in RFC 2138 and RFC 2139 by LivingstonInc. A Radius server is a program which implements the central side of those protocols and generally runs on a central authority server box. The remote side is generally integrated in the operating system of a Network Access Server which works as a client.

LivingstonInc distributed for years a free and open-source implementation of the server which is portable among different Unix systems and provides a few essential features and the whole server side protocols.

Unfortunately, the original Livingston Radius server suffers of a few deficiencies, due in part to RADIUS own characteristics and in part to the precise intent of not compromising the business of a more fine and evolute product of accounting and authorization. Today LivingstonInc is out of business, after being absorbed by Lucent.

Commercial:

[http://www.advancedispbilling.com AdvancedISPRadius] Radius and ISP/VOIP Billing software

[http://www.aradial.com AAA Radius server Aradial] Radius server and ISP Billing software

Free Radius: * [http://www.radius.cistron.nl/ Cistron Radius] The first free Radius

* [http://freeradius.org/ FreeRadius ] FreeRadius foundation