# RADIUS Relay Server Overview

The JunosE RADIUS relay server provides authentication, authorization, accounting, and addressing services in an 802.1x-based wireless environment.

The IEEE 802.1x standard is an authentication standard for wireless LANs; it enables a wireless subscriber to be authenticated by a central authority. The standard uses the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) for message exchange during the authentication process. The E Series router’s RADIUS relay server enhances the 802.1x environment by including authorization, accounting, and addressing support for wireless subscribers.

Figure 6 illustrates a typical 802.1x-based wireless environment. In the figure, wireless subscribers connect to wireless access points (WAPs) for authentication. The WAPs in turn connect to the E Series router’s RADIUS relay server. The RADIUS relay server passes the request on to the authentication server, which might be a RADIUS or TACACS+ server. The RADIUS server authenticates the subscriber, who is then granted access. After authentication, the RADIUS relay server obtains an IP address for the subscriber from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) local or external server. The RADIUS relay server can also use the RADIUS server or the optional Session and Resource Control (SRC) software (formerly the SDX software), to provide the accounting support.

Figure 6: RADIUS Relay Server