Radius Manager billing system

Overview

Radius Manager is a easy to use administration system for Mikrotik (PPP and Hotspot), Cisco, StarOS and Chillispot NAS devices. It provides centralized authentication and accounting functions in a most comfortable way.

Basic features:

• User authentication
• Traffic accounting (download, upload, total, online time)
• Prepaid and postpaid billing, invoicing
• UNIX mailbox user synchronization
• Tracking the payment
• Financial reports
• Prepaid card system and IAS
• Online payment system

Special features:

• Connection Tracking System (CTS)
• Self registration
• Instant Access Services (IAS)
• Support for online payment gateways
• Account expiry control

Screenshots

Screenshots of Radius Manager are available here.

Basic network diagrams

Mikrotik based system

One of the basic system diagrams is shown on the picture above. It uses Mikrotik device as PPP / Hotspot server. The central system consists of the following components:

1. Mikrotik PPP / Hotspot server: It handles Hotspot and PPP sessions, sends authentication requests and accounting information to Linux Radius Manager server. Mikrotik host has at least two interfaces: WAN for connecting to the Internet and LAN for connecting the clients.
2. Linux server: This server hosts Radius Manager application, MySql database server, web server and optionally an email server. A static route is required between Mikrotik and Linux host due to the naturity of RADIUS UDP communication. The easiest method of IP organizing is if the both hosts are located in a same subnet.

Radius Manager uses a web interface for administering the users and the whole system (traffic accounting, tracking of online users, display statistics etc.). It is OS independent and accessible with any Javascript enabled browser.

For additional network diagrams click here.

 

Self registration

Users can register themselves in Radius Manager to gain access to Internet. The system supports identity verification via SMS code. 3rd party account verification methods can also be addedd with the help of Radius Manager API.

 

Hotspot login with Instant Access Services (IAS)

With Instant Access Services users can purchase Internet access codes online. IAS system accepts payments via all supported payment gateways (PayPal, Authorize.net, Netcash).

When Radius Manager is configured to accept IAS online payments, users can see a similar login screen like the following picture:

Mikrotik hotspot login page with Instant Access Services

Unauthorized users can do the following tasks directly from the login screen:

• Purchase an Instant Access Service (without registration)
• Register a new account
• Access the User Control Panel (UCP)

When a user selects an Instant Access Service, the system will redirect him to the payment page where he can purchase credits using Credit Card or PayPal payment method. If the transaction was successful, Radius Manager system will display a 16 digit code which will be used as username for Hotspot login.

Registering of new users can also be done directly from the Hotspot login page. When a user clicks on the "Register an account" link, he will be redirected to the registration screen. All regular data fields have to be filled out: desired user name, full name, address etc.

Accessing the User Control Panel (UCP) is easy via the direct link on the Hotspot login page.

All these functions need a properly set up walled garden in Mikrotik (or Chillispot) hotspot server.

1. Classic prepaid cards can be used to log in to the system and use the service with entering the PIN and password which is printed on the card.
2. Refill cards can be used to refill regular user's account, entering the PIN code in UCP.

• User name
• Date and time
• Source IP and port
• Destination IP and port
• Used protocol

The database is fully searchable via the Radius Manager ACP web interface. Storing the data requires large and fast disks. A typical daily amount of data can take up to 100-500 MB with 200-300 online users.

A recommended CTS system with separate database host is shown on the picture below:

Connection Tracking System setup (CTS) with separate MySql db host

• PHP 5.1 or better
• MySQL 5 or better
• Glibc 2.4 or better

OS recommendation:

• CentOS 5+
• Fedora Core 8-12

Hardware requirements:

• CPU 1.5 GHz+
• 1 GB RAM
• 80 GB HDD or more (fast disks, SATA or SCSI or RAID array)

If your system doesn't have the correct version of components installed, You have to upgrade / install them before You continue to install the Radius Manager application.

If You have a non standard Linux system, please contact us before the purchase (use the email form here). We will install a demo system on your host to be 100% sure it can work without any problems.

NAS compatibility

Functionality	Mikrotik	Cisco	StarOS	*Chillispot	DD-WRT	pfSense	Protocol
Authentication / accounting							Hotspot
Automatic disconnection of expired accounts
Bandwidth management
Static IP address
MAC authentication
Authentication / accounting							PPPoE
Automatic disconnection of expired accounts
Bandwidth management
Static IP address
Authentication / accounting							PPtP
Automatic disconnection of expired accounts
Bandwidth management
Static IP address
Authentication / accounting							L2tP
Automatic disconnection of expired accounts
Bandwidth management
Static IP address
RADIUS Access List support			**				ACL

Chillispot v1.1 running on a Linux server
**StarOS has limited RADIUS Access List compatibility