What is a User?

A user is someone or something that is obtaining services or access through WinGate. WinGate users are very similar to Windows users. To keep track of all the users in WinGate, there is a User Database (UDB). The User Authentication Service (UAS - which is part of the remote control service) handles the authentication of users where required. User records have a number of associated privileges, and track data about the person’s use of WinGate.

Authentication

Authentication is the process of ‘Telling WinGate who you are’ in a way that WinGate can trust. It equates to ‘logging on’. WinGate has 3 levels of authentication

Unknown WinGate has no prior information about the user

Assumed WinGate makes an assumption about who the user is, based upon the IP number of the machine connected or the network name of the computer (this is set up under ‘Locations’ in GateKeeper).

Authenticated WinGate knows who the user is, because that user has logged in with GateKeeper or the java login applet.

In regard to WinGate, the terms ‘Logged in’ and ‘Authenticated’ are synonymous, interchangeable.