Aruba Unveils Wi-Fi Mux, Wireless IDS and Secure Traffic Engineering

Aruba Wireless Networks, a start-up based in San Jose, California, introduced a Wi-Fi multiplexer (mux) designed to simplify the integration of legacy access points (APs) into wired campus networks.
The new Aruba 800 Wi-Fi mux acts as a proxy for legacy APs by securely tunneling traffic over IP networks to a centralized Wi-Fi switch. The Wi-Fi switch aggregates traffic from multiple Wi-Fi muxes and enforces security and mobility policies at a central network location. It can attach to both the Aruba 5000 and the Aruba 800 Wi-Fi switches.


The new, programmable Aruba 800 hardware platform also acts as an 802.3af compliant Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch with a built-in terminal server based on Aruba's patented Serial and Power over Ethernet (SPOE) technology.


Separately, Aruba released a new version of its AirOS Wi-Fi switching software that features advanced wireless intrusion detection (IDS) and traffic engineering capabilities. New denial of service (DoS) features protect against common WLAN man-in the middle attacks, such as ASLEAP, deauthentication floods, and void11. These attacks attempt to disrupt wireless LAN traffic or decrypt NT passwords by impersonating stations or access points. With AirOS 2.0, Aruba access points analyze and classify traffic patterns as well as examine common 802.11-specific attributes like RF signal strength (RSSI) and sequence numbers to identify and block illegal activity. AirOS 2.0 WLAN IDS capabilities also include detecting common network penetration tools such as NetStumbler, DStumber and Wellenreiter using signature analysis on each Aruba access point. In addition, new traffic engineering capabilities include crypto-VLANs created through multiple ESSIDs on a single AP; role based VLAN membership; per user bandwidth contracts; and wireless quality and class of service for delay-sensitive traffic flowshttp//www.arubanetworks.com/