Networking-a-plenty from a small box

Author: EIS Release Date: Aug 24, 2021

Aaeon is aiming at networking in areas with unreliable physical internet connections with a six-antenna fan-less desktop network appliance built around Intel Elkhart Lake processors.

 

Aaeon FWS-2280_antenna_3D_Rear

Called FWS-2280, the units can have Atom x6000E, Celeron, Pentium N or Pentium J processors, and “bring performance, flexibility, and a host of technologies designed to power network applications including UTM [unified threat management], firewall, SD-WAN and VPN”, according to Aaeon. “The Intel processor helps bring a host of technologies designed for more secure encryption and faster, more accurate connections, such as Intel AES-NI.”

 

Up to 32Gbyte of ram can be accommodated and the system comes standard with four copper Gigabit RJ-45 LAN ports and one fibre SFP port, six antenna ports and three Mini PCIe slots (or M.2 – spaces are shared) allowing up to three expansion modules to be installed at the same time.

 

Two USB connectors an an HDMI port are available on the rear.

 

Resources allows for the deployment of multiple overlapping Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks, as well as support for cellular WWAN deployments with 4G and 5G communication.

 

A redundant power supply (two 12Vdc power input connectors) helps to keep networks connected even if one power source fails, and a 2.5in SATA drive bay is included for local network storage.

 

Aaeon FWS-2280_3D_Front_01The front panel has power, status and storage LED and a micro-SIM slot alongside its antenna connectors.

 

Dimensions are 210 x 105 x 44mm and operation is over 0 – 40°C.