Editing Network access server (section)

==Overview==
A NAS concentrates dial-in and dial-out user communications. An access server may have a mixture of analog and digital interfaces and support hundreds of simultaneous users. A NAS consists of a [[communications processor]] that connects asynchronous devices to a [[LAN]] or [[Wide area network|WAN]] through network and [[terminal emulation]] software. It performs both synchronous and asynchronous routing of supported protocols.

The NAS is meant to act as a [[Gateway (telecommunications)|gateway]] to guard access to a protected resource. This can be anything from a [[telephone]] [[Telecommunications network|network]], to [[computer printer|printers]], to the [[Internet]]. A [[Client (computing)|client]] connects to the NAS. The NAS then connects to another resource asking whether the client's supplied [[credentials]] are valid. Based on that answer the NAS then allows or disallows access to the protected resource.