There is a growing desire/requirement in the military to send large amounts of information (either large data files or streaming video) through a wireless network. When evaluating existing military wireless communication devices/networks, one realizes that they have a tremendous limitation as to the rate at which the data can be transmitted. Most existing military wireless networks/devices transmit at much less than 500 Kbps, which is not acceptable. The commercial sector has developed wireless networks/devices that are based on the 802.11 protocol that has the ability to transmit at rates as high as 56 Mbps. While this rate is desirable, there are other limitations of the 802.11 protocol that make it unsuitable for a military environment. These include information security, transmission security, limited range and operation in a highly mobile environment This paper describes ViaSat's Secure Wireless Local Area Network (SWLAN) product that is based on a modified Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) 802.11 technology integrated with ViaSat's High Assurance type 1 (or Type 3) Inline Network Encryptor (INE) technology. With the combination of 802.11 and INE technology, this product will provide extremely secure (both COMSEC and TRANSEC) mobile wireless data communication at distances greater than 1 kilometer (km) at rates up to 56 Mbps in a battlefield environment. In addition, the SWLAN product will allow users to deploy non-CCI repeater's, which will reduce the possibility of transmission security compromises and help in situations where retrieving a repeater is not possible.
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