RADIUS Accounting

RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is a networking protocol that provide centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting. SonicOS uses RADIUS protocols to delivery account information from the NAS (Network Access Server), which is the SonicPoint in our case, to the RADIUS Accounting Server. You can take advantage of the account information to apply various billing rules on the RADIUS Accounting Server side. The accounting information can be based on session duration or traffic load being transferred for each user.

The overall authentication, authorization, and accounting process works as follows:

1
A user associates to a SonicPoint which is connected to a SonicWall firewall.
2
Authentication is performed using the method designated.
3
IP subnet/VLAN assignment is enabled.
4
The SonicPoint send the RADIUS Account Request start message to an accounting server.
5
Re-authentication is performed as necessary.
6
Based on the results of the re-authentication, the SonicPoint sends the interim account update to the accounting server.
7
The user disconnects from the SonicPoint.
8
The SonicPoint sends the RADIUS Account Request stop message to the accounting server.