Features Overview
AthenaBNG is a complete Broadband Network Gateway in software. Every feature you'd expect from a hardware BNG — and a few you wouldn't — running on commodity Linux servers.
Access Technologies
Dynamic VLAN Demultiplexing
Automatic subscriber VLAN interface creation triggered by real traffic. Supports 802.1Q, 802.1ad (QinQ), and arbitrary VLAN nesting depths. No pre-provisioning required — VLANs are created on-demand and cleaned up when idle.
PPPoE Termination
Full PPPoE session lifecycle management via accel-ppp. RADIUS authentication, per-session QoS, real-time accounting, and CoA/Disconnect support. Handles thousands of concurrent PPPoE sessions on a single server.
DHCP/IPoE
Built-in DHCP server (abng-dhcpd) for IPoE subscribers. RADIUS-driven IP assignment with unnumbered /32 addressing. Full RADIUS accounting with interface traffic counters. No external DHCP server required.
Traffic Management
Per-Subscriber QoS (CAKE)
CAKE-based traffic shaping — the best queuing discipline available for broadband. Per-flow fairness, accurate link-layer overhead compensation, active queue management, and Diffserv support. Real-time rate changes via RADIUS CoA without packet loss.
CGNAT & VRF Steering
VRF-based CGNAT traffic steering for IPv4 address conservation. AthenaBNG automatically identifies subscribers on RFC 6598 addresses and routes their traffic through a dedicated VRF to your CGNAT appliance (we recommend NFware vCGNAT). Built-in deterministic CGNAT is coming soon.
Dynamic Routing
FRRouting integration for BGP, OSPF, and IS-IS. Subscriber /32 routes are automatically injected into the kernel and redistributed into your routing protocol of choice. VRF support for multi-tenant deployments.
Operations & Management
RADIUS AAA
Full RFC 2865/2866/2869 RADIUS support. Authentication, authorization, and accounting for both PPPoE and IPoE sessions. CoA (Change of Authorization) for real-time policy updates. Disconnect Messages for administrative session termination.
Network OS CLI
JunOS/VyOS-style command-line interface with operational and configuration modes. Tab completion at every level, ? help, pipe filters, commit/rollback with automatic confirmation timers, and non-interactive mode for scripting.
REST API
FastAPI-based REST API for programmatic access to subscriber management, configuration, and monitoring. JSON responses, token authentication, and full OpenAPI documentation.
SNMP Monitoring
Standard SNMP v2c/v3 support with a custom AthenaBNG MIB. Subscriber counts, session statistics, interface counters, and system health — all accessible from your existing NMS.
At a Glance
| Feature | Technology | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| VLAN Demux | AF_PACKET, netlink | 802.1Q, 802.1ad |
| PPPoE | accel-ppp | RFC 2516 |
| DHCP/IPoE | abng-dhcpd (built-in) | RFC 2131, RFC 3046 |
| QoS | CAKE (tc) | Diffserv |
| CGNAT | VRF steering + external appliance | RFC 6598 |
| Routing | FRRouting | BGP, OSPF, IS-IS |
| RADIUS | Built-in client | RFC 2865/2866/2869/5176 |
| CLI | abng-cli (Rust) | — |
| API | FastAPI (Python) | REST/JSON |
| SNMP | net-snmp + agent | SNMPv2c/v3 |