Differences

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--- technical:ppsk-radius [2024/04/18 20:52] – created system
+++ technical:ppsk-radius [2024/04/29 09:03] (current) – [Advanced Private PSK Flow] system
@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
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-====== PPSK support in RADIUSdesk ======
+====== PPSK support in FreeRADIUS ======
-===== File or RADIUS =====
+===== Introduction =====
-  * The PPSK feature in hostapd gives the user the choice of providing the PPSKs using a file or using RADIUS.
+  * FreeRADIUS offers support for loadable modules in Perl and Python.
-  * Having the option of supplying the PPSKs in a text file allows for quick and simplified deployments.
+  * RADIUSdesk includes a couple of Perl modules with its FreeRADIUS implementation to help where Unlang lacks in capabilities.
+  * The RADIUS protocol in its most traditional implementation does not allow communication back to the RADIUS client, e.g. to terminate a user's session with a NAS.
+  * As new enhancements were added to the RADIUS protocol, a mechanism was added to reach the client via Change Of Authority (COA) and Packet Of Disconnect (POD) requests from the RADIUS server to the RADIUS client.
+  * We can say that the RADIUS client took on features of the RADIUS server.
+  * This mechanism works well in an environment where the RADIUS server can reach the RADIUS client directly at IP level (no NAT firewalls in between)
+  * Unfortunately, not all environments offer this possibility today, so alternative ways have emerged to reach the RADIUS client from the RADIUS server.
+  * In RADIUSdesk we use the API that is part of RouterOS to reach Mikrotik RADIUS Clients.
+  * In MESHdesk and APdesk we use the MQTT system (or heartbeat fallback).
+  * With this in mind, let us look at the flow of a simple Private PSK implementation on RADIUSdesk as well as a more advanced Private PSK implementation with data restrictions.
 ------
+===== Simple Private PSK Flow =====
+<panel type="info" title="Simple hotstapd with RADIUS flow">
+{{ :technical:ppsk:simpleflow.png |}}
+</panel>
+----
+===== Advanced Private PSK Flow =====
+<panel type="info" title="Advanced hotstapd with RADIUS flow">
+{{ :technical:ppsk:advancedflow.png |}}
+</panel>
+  * The **Intelligent VLAN Engine** runs on the RADIUSdesk server and is crucial if you want to implement Private PSK with data restrictions.
+  * It constantly monitors a user's usage and if it detects that a certain limit has been reached, it will act accordingly.
+  * This usually starts by sending a disconnect instruction to the AP or mesh node the user is currently connected to.
+  * The user's device will attempt to reconnect to the same SSID after it has been disconnected.
+  * The **Intelligent VLAN Engine** will now apply the new restrictions to the newly established connection, if there are any.
+  * The **Intelligent VLAN Engine** also removes restrictions by disconnecting and reconnecting a user when it detects that a restriction needs to be lifted, e.g. when a daily, weekly or monthly limit no longer applies
+----