What is the cost of deploying a RADIUS authentication server?This is a very important question for many IT administrators.Especially in the context of the rising status of network security, more and more enterprises want to implement RADIUS authentication services for wireless intranet and VPN environments, and there are many methods to consider.Several main types of schemes will be introduced below.

Free RADIUS authentication service

The open source FreeRADIUS authentication server is a free solution that many companies choose to deploy locally. As the name suggests, all services provided by FreeRADIUS are free. In terms of software, FreeRADIUS is indeed free, but enterprises still need to deploy hardware or virtual servers to host the software.So the deployment cost is mostly concentrated in the personnel overhead of installing, configuring and managing the RADIUS authentication server.Moreover, the long-term operation and maintenance of FreeRADIUS is also time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Paid RADIUS server

In addition to free RADIUS service platforms, there are also many paid RADIUS authentication server solutions on the market.These solutions offer different subscription prices in terms of subscription operations and up-front capital expenditures, ranging from a few dozen per month to thousands per server, and other additional service fees. Of course, most of these payment plans still cannot avoid high operation and maintenance management costs, and the price of the RADIUS authentication server is also a lot for enterprises.Given the time and budget constraints of many growing businesses, such paid RADIUS solutions are not cost-effective.

RADIUS Authentication Cloud Service

There is an interesting phenomenon in many enterprises, that is, the local RADIUS authentication server such as FreeRADIUS built by the enterprise is completely migrated to the cloud. As long as the cloud server directly points to the wireless access point and VPN network of the enterprise, theAuthentication is performed through the RADIUS cloud service platform.Although there is a charge for cloud services, businesses save on server implementation and operation costs. NingDS Identity Directory Cloud is a cloud-based identity and access management platform. Since RADIUS relies on directory services to authenticate users, it is built into NingDS's LDAP directory service, which greatly simplifies the connection process.RADIUS authentication cloud services can also be used for network security techniques, such as VLAN tagging, to ensure that only authorized users can access required network resources.

Cost of RADIUS Authentication Cloud Service

Since RADIUS cloud service has so many advantages, what is the deployment cost?The NingDS identity directory cloud solution can be subscribed on a monthly or annual basis, supports optional function modules, and is very friendly to small and medium-sized enterprises with limited budgets.In addition, the RADIUS authentication cloud service in NingDS does not require installation, deployment, and operation and maintenance. It supports remote management out of the box, greatly reducing the pressure on IT administrators.