Summary
The NEXCOM DNA 1170 Series delivers cost-effective, hardware-accelerated encryption and security processing for small and medium business (SMB) deployments. Built on Intel Atom C5315 or C5325 processors (4 or 8 cores) with embedded Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) acceleration, the platform provides exceptional price-to-performance ratios for organizations implementing cryptographic-intensive security operations without enterprise-scale budgets. The series includes eight 1GbE copper ports and four 10GbE fiber ports, enabling flexible network integration from small branch offices to distributed enterprise locations.
Problem / Requirements
Small and medium businesses face a fundamental dilemma in cybersecurity appliance procurement: enterprise-grade security platforms command price tags incompatible with SMB budgets, while consumer-class alternatives lack features required for business continuity. SMB security requirements include:
- Performing SSL/TLS inspection for HTTPS traffic filtering without performance degradation
- Supporting VPN encryption and site-to-site connectivity for remote offices
- Implementing intrusion prevention without requiring expensive specialized appliances
- Scaling from initial deployment to distributed multi-site operations
- Maintaining security performance as regulatory compliance requirements increase
Technical Approach
The DNA 1170 Series optimizes cost-performance through Intel Atom processor selection and embedded QAT acceleration. The Atom C5315 and C5325 provide sufficient CPU horsepower for routing, policy enforcement, and basic packet processing while keeping component costs low. The embedded Intel QAT accelerator offloads compute-intensive cryptographic operations (AES-GCM, public-key operations, compression), allowing the main processor to focus on network management and policy decisions.
This hybrid approach delivers surprising performance—testing demonstrated that the DNA 1170A (8-core variant) exceeds performance requirements for complex scenarios involving repetitive encoding/decoding operations. Organizations implement cascading encryption (encrypting data for different recipients) and complex compression scenarios without experiencing the throughput penalties typically associated with budget-class appliances.
The port configuration (8x 1GbE + 4x 10GbE) enables dual-mode deployments: SMBs with single 10GbE uplinks use 8x 1GbE for internal connectivity, while growing organizations add additional 10GbE links as traffic scales. Optional 5G and Wi-Fi expansion modules support future Fixed Wireless Access deployments without requiring appliance replacement.
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Challenge | Solution
High cryptographic processing costs | Embedded Intel QAT acceleration for encryption ops
Limited port flexibility | Hybrid 1GbE/10GbE port configuration
Single-site-only constraints | Modular expansion supporting distributed deployments
Future technology integration barriers | Optional 5G/Wi-Fi expansion without appliance replacement
SMB budget limitations | Exceptional price-to-performance ratio for feature set
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Implementation Notes
DNA 1170 Series deployments typically begin at SMB branch offices or as consolidation points for small remote locations. The appliance handles VPN termination for remote workers, implements firewall policies, and performs encrypted traffic inspection with minimal administrative overhead. Growing SMBs expand by adding additional DNA 1170 units at new locations rather than upgrading to enterprise-class platforms, enabling predictable budgeting and familiar management interfaces across all sites.
The QAT acceleration proves especially valuable in complex deployment scenarios: organizations implementing identity-based access controls that encrypt data for specific recipients benefit from hardware-offloaded public-key operations. Similarly, scenarios requiring duplicate detection and deduplication across WAN links leverage the QAT compression acceleration to minimize bandwidth consumption without consuming CPU resources.
Integration with SIEM platforms and centralized management tools occurs through standard syslog and REST API mechanisms. SMBs lacking dedicated security operations staff appreciate the platform's autonomous threat detection and simplified administrative interfaces—security operations don't require constant expert attention.
Real-world benchmarking demonstrates the DNA 1170 Series' practical value. Testing across multiple SMB deployment scenarios—small office firewalling, branch encryption, intrusion prevention—confirms the platform maintains throughput expectations without requiring performance engineering or capacity management. Organizations deploying the platform report that performance remains consistent throughout multi-year deployment lifecycles, eliminating the refresh cycles that plague less stable platforms.
The port configuration reflects practical SMB requirements. The 1GbE ports handle office internal traffic and remote worker VPN connections, while 10GbE ports support uplink to data centers or direct Internet connections. This flexibility enables deployment tailoring to specific office configurations without requiring expensive architectural adaptation.
Specifications Snapshot
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Specification | Detail
Processor | Intel Atom C5315 (4-core) or C5325 (8-core)
Acceleration | Embedded Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT)
Ethernet Ports | 8x 1GbE copper + 4x 10GbE fiber
Throughput | Tested performance in complex crypto scenarios
Expansion Options | Optional 5G and Wi-Fi modules
Management | Web console + API for centralized control
Deployment Profile | SMB branch offices, distributed locations
Feature Set | VPN termination, firewalling, threat detection
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Key Takeaways
The DNA 1170 Series demonstrates that hardware specialization enables SMBs to deploy sophisticated security features previously limited to enterprise implementations. The embedded QAT acceleration provides measurable performance gains across real-world deployment scenarios rather than benchmark-only improvements. The hybrid port configuration (1GbE + 10GbE) enables flexible deployments matching both current single-site requirements and future distributed growth. For SMBs implementing distributed branch offices or growing from single-site operations, the DNA 1170 Series provides a cost-effective pathway to enterprise-class security without the price premium. The optional 5G/Wi-Fi expansion capability future-proofs investments as Fixed Wireless Access becomes mainstream for branch office connectivity.
Cost-conscious SMBs benefit significantly from the platform's proven economics. Multi-year total cost of ownership calculations reveal that DNA 1170 deployment costs less than hiring even one part-time security engineer to manage software-only solutions. Combined with the platform's operational reliability, the financial case for hardware-accelerated security becomes compelling for organizations with constrained IT budgets.
Vendor experience across SMB deployments demonstrates consistent operational success. The platform's reliability reduces the support burden on IT staff managing multiple concurrent responsibilities. Support requirements typically stabilize at quarterly reviews rather than ongoing troubleshooting, enabling SMB IT teams to focus on business-enabling initiatives rather than security infrastructure maintenance.
Contact NEXCOM
For specifications, availability, and technical inquiries, contact NEXCOM via the official website.
