System Architecture

The GuestNet system is built on top of the Radiator RADIUS server and follows a modular architecture.

The core module, AuthGUESTNET, extends two base classes:

  • Radius::AuthGeneric – provides authentication framework and reply handling

  • Radius::SqlDb – provides database connectivity and query execution

The system consists of the following key components:

  • Radiator RADIUS Server

  • AuthGUESTNET Module

  • MySQL Database

  • In-Memory Cache

  • Network Access Devices (NAS)

  • Reporting Systems

The Radiator server receives RADIUS requests from NAS devices such as wireless controllers or access points.

These requests are passed to the AuthGUESTNET module, which processes authentication and accounting logic.

The module interacts with the MySQL database to retrieve user data from tables such as ACCOUNT, LOCATION, PACKAGES, and RADONLINE.

To improve performance, frequently accessed data such as location mappings and package definitions are stored in in-memory cache structures.

The cache is refreshed periodically (once per hour) using the loadCache function.

During authentication, the system determines the user’s location using the getLocation2 function, which supports both circuit-id and IP-based detection.

The system then validates user credentials, package eligibility, and concurrency limits before responding with Access-Accept or Access-Reject.

Accounting requests are processed separately for Start, Interim, and Stop events.

Session data is stored in the RADONLINE table for active sessions and moved to CDR/CDRS tables upon session termination.

The architecture ensures separation between authentication logic, database operations, and session tracking.

This modular design allows the system to scale efficiently and handle high volumes of guest authentication requests.