 - NAS is also the abbreviation for network-attached storage.
A network access server (NAS) is a computer server that enables an independent service provider (ISP) to provide connected customers with Internet access. A network access server has interfaces to both the local telecommunication service provider such as the phone company and to the Internet backbone.
The server authenticates users requesting login. It receives a dial-up call from each user host (such as your computer) that wants to access the Internet, performs the necessary steps to authenticate and authorize each user, usually by verifying a user name and password, and then allows requests to begin to flow between the user host and hosts (computers) elsewhere on the Internet.
The term network access server may refer to a server devoted entirely to managing network access or to a server that also performs other functions as well. A network access server can be configured to provide a host of services such as VoIP, fax-over-IP, and voicemail-over-IP as well.
One of the most well-known network access servers, the AS5800, is made by Cisco Systems. It is a workhorse product that is referred to as a carrier-class universal access server.
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07 Aug 2006
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