Network Policy Server (NPS) is Windows Server’s built-in RADIUS implementation — used for centralized authentication of Wi-Fi clients, VPN connections, and 802.1X-secured wired networks against Active Directory.
Install-WindowsFeature NPAS -IncludeManagementTools # Register NPS to read from Active Directory netsh nps add registeredserver # NPS policies (network policies, connection request policies) are # primarily configured via the NPS console (nps.msc) or PowerShell: Get-NpsRadiusClient
Why Centralize Authentication This Way
Without RADIUS, securing a Wi-Fi network typically means a single shared password (WPA2-PSK) known to every device — anyone who leaves the organization still knows it unless it’s changed for everyone. NPS with 802.1X authenticates each user against their own Active Directory credentials individually, so revoking one person’s access doesn’t require changing a shared network password for everyone else.
NPS is also commonly deployed as a RADIUS proxy in front of Azure MFA, adding multi-factor authentication to VPN and Wi-Fi logins that otherwise only support basic username/password RADIUS authentication.