The campus has a network of wired accommodation areas, office buildings and public area WiFi, users are connected to the dormitory, offices link WiFi, and two networks with both NATSHEL_AUTH_BILLING, which each uses two sets of accounts, double fees, and confused management. The cable NATSHEL_AUTH_BILLING is the solution: one account, one bill, one strategy, one set of policies, one user, whether it's online or WiFi, and the operator manages all users in one back-office.
Why do we need to be connected?
Wire and wireless networks are usually present simultaneously: there is a network interface for each room in the accommodation area, office buildings and public areas cover WiFi. Users use cable (stability, speed), wireless (facile, mobile) in their accommodations, offices and outdoors. If both systems are independent, users register accounts, pay separate fees, the balance is not common, operators maintain two user data sets, and two logs are checked. Once harmonized, one account can be used on line and wireless, balances are common, billing is combined, managers see wire and wireless access records of all users at one back desk, resulting in significant improvements in management efficiency. NATSHEL_BRAND V7 supports wireless and uniform access authentication, with users experiencing consistency through wired or wireless access.
Wired authentication
The authentication of the network is usually either PPPoE or 802.1X. PPOE is the most common way to use a campus residence, with user computers dial-up connection, account passwords entered and accessed after certification. PPOE has the advantage of being secure, authentication cannot be accessed without having access to IP; the disadvantage is that it requires user configuration of dial-up connections, which are not friendly to non-technical users. 802.1X is based on port authentication, the switch port closes before authentication passes, the user computer configuration automatically authenticate after applicationlicant does not require manual dialling. 802.1X has the advantage of experience and start-up automatic authentication; The disadvantage is that the switchboard is needed to support 802.1X, and the dumb terminal (printer, IP phone) cannot be certified.
Wireless authentication
The authentication of wireless networks is usually in Portal or 802.1X. Portal certification is the most common type, with users connecting to WiFi automatically ejecting the authentication page and entering a password or SMS authentication code for the authentication and releasing it after it has been approved. Portal has the advantage that no client configuration is required and any equipment can be used; the disadvantage is that AC supports External Portal and there is compatibility issues in re-direction of HTTPS websites. 802.1X has a better experience on the wireless side, automatically authenticating WiFi after connecting it without popping a page, but requires terminal configurations of suplicant, mobile phones and notebooks, but with a threshold for ordinary users. Public areas in the park and visitors use Portal, which allows staff space to be 802.1 X plus MAC unconscious, taking into account safety and experience.
What about the uniform authentication backend?
The key to wireless integration is the same authentication backend. V7 supports various certification protocols, such as PPOE, Portal, 802.1X, RADIUS, and so on. BRAS or switchboards on line send requests for PPOPE/802.1X accreditation to RADIUS services in V7. Wireless AC sends requests for Portal/RADIUS certification to the same V7 system. Both sets of requests go to the same backend, with a unified user database, costing strategy, balance. Users dial up the PPPoE in their accommodation, and account balances are the same as those certified in Portal in the office building. The online list of users that managers see at V7 backstage is based on both wired and wireless users, which differentiates access patterns.
A unified costing strategy design
Wireless integration takes into account differences between the two modes of access. The month-on-month user usually has a wire wireless, without extra charges. A combined flow pool is used for traffic users, which combines wired and wireless traffic. An hour-on-line user, which combines wired and wireless online timescales. But some campuses have different prices, such as $50 for cable and $30 for wireless package, where users can buy separate, or are cheaper to buy wired wirelessly tied suites. V7 supports the configuration of different billing strategies based on access mode, while user authentication hours systems apply corresponding costing templates according to access mode (wi/wire). The billing strategy is to be clearly written in the user agreement, so that users do not think they can use wirelessly for buying cable packages.
Simultaneous control and account sharing precautions
The risk of account sharing is even greater when wireless integration is achieved: a user buys a package monthly account, dials it in the dormitory and tells his colleagues to use it on the office building. The V7 system supports and issues terminal limits, with an account number exceeding both the online N-top (wire and wireless combined) by kicking out the earliest connections. It also limits the ability to keep the same account number online simultaneously, or allows simultaneous online but simultaneous distribution of two. This will be accompanied by the MAC binding and first user certification, which will be rejected or approved by the administrator for other equipment.
Harmonized log and audit
The V7 system records the authentication logs of all users, including access (wire-based PPPoE/wire-line 802.1X/ Wireless Portal/ Wireless802.1X), online time, downwiring time, traffic, online duration, IP address, MAC address, access device (which switch port or AC/AP) and which user's password and time period are assigned to it. If there is an independent Log Audit system, the V7 accreditation log can be passed on to the log system via Syslog and the web-based behavioural log association analysis.
Attention to deployment implementation
The implementation of Wireless Utility certification is done in a step-by-step manner. First, the user database and billing strategy are configured on V7 and both PPOE and Portal authentications are tested properly. Second, the pilot wireless integration of one building, testing account numbers for generalization, bill consolidation, simultaneous distribution control, log recording. Third, the pilot is rolled out to the park area after stabilization. In the implementation process, note that: BRAS or switchboards with wired links are to configure RADIFUS towards V7, AC with wireless connections to external Portal and RADIUS towards the same V7, and RADIUS shared keys on both sides are to be configured separately but point to the same server.
The campus WiFi Authentication & Billing system is wirelessly integrated, with a core authentication backend processing both PPOE and Portal/RADIUS requests, user databases and billing strategies harmonized. Wireless access requests are available to V7. The billing can be combined or separately priced by access, control preventing account sharing, logs are harmonized for audit purposes. Piloted first, ensure that RADIUS configurations on both sides point to the same backend and are seamlessly secured.