Connect Nokia WLAN-GW to Powerlynx via RADIUS over IPSec VPN

How it works

Nokia WLAN-GW is a carrier-grade wireless LAN gateway. It connects to Powerlynx through a single IPSec VPN tunnel, and Powerlynx acts as its cloud RADIUS server.

A Nokia gateway spreads its work across several internal components at different addresses, instead of exposing one address for everything. Powerlynx routes each RADIUS action to the right component automatically — authorization to the component serving the user, disconnects to the component that ends sessions — all from a single configuration, with no scripting required.

One shared VPN connection covers the whole gateway system: every internal component reaches Powerlynx through the same tunnel, so the IPSec connection is the only network requirement on the customer’s side.

What this integration provides

• RADIUS authentication and accounting for Nokia WLAN-GW gateways with Powerlynx as the cloud RADIUS server.
• Encrypted IPSec (IKEv2) tunnel with certificate or pre-shared-key authentication, and no public IP needed on the gateway.
• One shared VPN connection serves every processing component in the Nokia gateway.
• Authorization and disconnect requests routed automatically to the correct gateway component with no scripting required.
• Site-to-site tunnel mode for carrier gateways such as the Nokia 7750-SR that use fixed networks instead of a dial-in virtual IP.

Who uses this

ISPs, carriers, and large venue operators running Nokia carrier-grade Wi-Fi. A strong fit where one Nokia gateway fronts many access points across a site, and the operator wants a single, secure, cloud-managed tunnel instead of managing devices individually.

Requirements

• A Nokia WLAN-GW gateway that supports RADIUS and can update a user’s access in real time.
• IPSec VPN support on the gateway, using either certificate or pre-shared-key authentication.
• The gateway must reach Powerlynx’s IPSec endpoint on UDP 500 and 4500.
• For certificate authentication: the gateway needs plain (non-HTTPS) access to check certificate validity, since Nokia gateways don’t support this check over a secure connection.

See how to configure Nokia 7750 SR in our step-by-step guide.