Broadband and storage chip specialist Marvell has teamed up with network security chip vendor Cavium Networks on a hardware reference design for enterprise wireless LAN (WLAN) switches based on embedded Linux. The design boasts high performance security and centralized management features.

The Cavium/Marvell design includes Prestera switching- and protocol-packet processing chips from Marvel coupled with Nitrox encryption/decryption chips from Cavium. Devices based on it can switch and route Ethernet packets with IPsec processing at wire-speeds from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, the companies claim.

The design offers 24 fast Ethernet ports, and dual Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) uplinks. Each port can be configured as wireless or wired.

Centralized management features let operators manage at the switch level rather than the access point (AP) level. Switches based on the new reference design will support enhanced security (encryption and authentication), rogue AP detection, bandwidth prioritization, radio power management, and software updates, the companies say.

Also, the design supports Marvell's “Virtual Cable Tester.”

Cavium has previously partnered with Integrated Device Technology on similar designs, and with MontaVista and LynuxWorks on hardware/software reference designs.

 
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