Turris MOX: Cutting-edge security and custom hardware configuration

PRAGUE, April 7 (NsNewsWire) —  Following the success of the Turris Omnia router with which CZ.NIC, the Czech national domain administrator, managed to raise over USD 1,200,000, the CZ.NIC team launched another crowdfunding campaign. Running on the Indiegogo platform, the campaign will seek support for Turris MOX, a modular network solution. The device can be used as a router, but also as an access point extending the reach of an existing router, a five-port switch, NAS or a media converter. Thanks to its modular design, the users will be able to choose the functionalities themselves. The basic module will be available in the Indiegogo campaign for only USD 29. The target amount is USD 250,000.
Custom configuration
Turris MOX is a network solution composed of several modules, each offering a different functionality. The core of the “building kit” is the CPU board equipped with the Marvell Armada 3720 (ARMv8) dual-core processor with the frequency of 1.2 GHz and a 512 MB DDR3 memory, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 connector and 802.11ac Wi-Fi with the 2×2 MIMO technology. This means that the core in itself can easily become an affordable yet powerful and secure router, or serve as an access point. Thanks to the 34 pin GPIO, it can also be used to control automated irrigation or lighting.
The MOX A (Basic Module) is equipped with a 64 pin connector responsible for the modularity of the whole solution and enabling chaining of the extension modules. The MOX D (SFP Module) enables connection to the Internet using an optical fibre and ensuring the maximum transmission speed possible. The MOX B extension (Extension Module) enables a secondary Wi-Fi card for greater range and transfer speed. Thanks to the integrated SIM card slot, the device can also become an LTE modem with a suitable miniPCIe card. In fact, it can even become a fast SSD storage interface. The last upgrade is the MOX C (Ethernet Module) with additional four Gigabit LAN ports.
Freedom in the choice of software
Turris MOX can also serve as a compact server. Thanks to the SD card slot, it allows for easy transition between operating systems. This means that, in addition to the standard Turris OS, it also supports other Linux distributions. At the present time, CZ.NIC is already in contact with openSUSE and Debian developers concerning the compatibility with their distributions. This will be appreciated not only by open source enthusiasts, but also by start-ups and companies looking for suitable hardware platform for their own applications.
A secure gate to the Internet
Software updates in traditional routers have to be installed by the users themselves, who are usually unaware that updates are available and, consequently, do not update their devices. This is all the more dangerous since today’s network devices and IoT solutions are faced with a new threat – attackers who use people to mine cryptocurrencies without their knowledge. Turris MOX will install security updates automatically. This dramatically improves security for the users, which is very desirable in the context of the gradual growth of the Internet of Things.
Easy shopping even for newbies
To make the choice of modules easier, pre-defined sets for specific uses will be available on Indiegogo and each potential backer can choose a configuration that precisely fits their needs. In addition, these sets will be fitted with tested SD cards with the Turris OS by the manufacturer.