Speedify for Routers Gives IT Teams Hardware-Agnostic Network Bonding in FIPS-Restricted Networks
Businesses operating under FIPS 140-2 or FIPS 140-3 requirements – satcom players, defense contractors, federal IT teams, regulated businesses – need bonded internet connectivity that fits inside their compliance posture. Speedify for Routers, running on Linux-based hardware paired with a Speedify Self-Hosted Server, gives IT teams a deployment path that works inside existing FIPS-compliant architectures without locking the organization into specific proprietary hardware.
This post covers the deployment architecture, hardware requirements, and key configuration considerations for FIPS-restricted environments.
How Speedify for Routers Works
Speedify’s channel bonding technology splits traffic across multiple simultaneous internet connections and reassembles it at the server endpoint. On the client side, Speedify for Routers runs on OpenWrt-compatible routers, Ubuntu-based Linux servers, and single-board computers like Raspberry Pi. Speedify bonds any combination of available connections: Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite – and delivers the combined throughput, up to 95% of aggregate capacity, to devices on the network.
The server side terminates the bonded connections. With a Speedify Self-Hosted Server, that server component runs on infrastructure the organization controls: an on-premises physical server, a bare-metal instance in a government-managed data center, or a cloud VM inside a VPC the organization manages. Traffic flows from the Speedify for Routers client to the self-hosted server, without transiting Speedify’s shared infrastructure.
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Deploying Speedify for Routers in a FIPS-Compliant Architecture
A FIPS-compliant deployment of Speedify for Routers depends on two controls: the cryptographic module used for tunnel encryption, and the server-side data path.
- Cryptographic module. FIPS compliance requires that encryption be performed by a FIPS-validated cryptographic module in approved mode. On Linux, this means running the OS with a FIPS-validated cryptographic provider. Ubuntu Pro includes FIPS-validated packages for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and 22.04 LTS. OpenWrt deployments can be configured with FIPS-validated cryptographic libraries. IT teams configuring Speedify for Routers in a FIPS environment should verify that the underlying Linux OS is running in FIPS mode and that Speedify’s tunnel encryption runs through the OS’s validated module. Contact Speedify’s sales team to discuss specific deployment requirements.
- Server-side data path. Speedify’s Self-Hosted Server installs as a Linux package on a standard Linux instance. For FIPS-restricted environments, the server should be deployed inside the organization’s compliance boundary: a dedicated server on an isolated network segment, a VM inside an on-premises data center, or a cloud instance inside a VPC the organization controls. Traffic does not traverse Speedify’s infrastructure in this configuration.
- No external license validation. Speedify’s Self-Hosted Server does not require ongoing external license validation. This matters for air-gapped environments or networks with restricted outbound connectivity, where periodic license check-ins common in proprietary bonding appliances create operational problems.
- Hardware. Speedify for Routers runs on OpenWrt-compatible hardware from multiple vendors — GL.iNET, Miri, and other OpenWrt platforms — as well as on Ubuntu-based Intel/AMD servers and ARM-based Linux devices. IT teams are not required to source hardware from a single vendor. Full compatibility details are at support.speedify.com/article/926-what-routers-does-speedify-support.
Which FIPS Environments Speedify Supports
CMMC Level 2 / Level 3 contractors. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program requires FIPS-validated encryption for CUI in transit. Speedify for Routers bonding 4G/5G cellular and Ethernet at a contractor facility, connected through a Speedify Self-Hosted Server inside the contractor’s network boundary, satisfies this when deployed on a FIPS-configured Linux OS.
FISMA moderate / high systems. Federal agencies and contractors managing systems under FISMA must implement FIPS-validated encryption. The self-hosted deployment model keeps the Speedify server inside the system’s Authority to Operate (ATO) boundary, which simplifies the ATO assessment process.
ITAR and export-controlled environments. Organizations handling ITAR-controlled technical data need to ensure data does not flow through unauthorized infrastructure. A Speedify Self-Hosted Server on organization-controlled hardware satisfies this requirement.
State and local government. Many state agencies follow NIST SP 800-53 controls and require FIPS-validated encryption for data in transit on government networks. Speedify’s Linux-based deployment model runs on standard government IT hardware without requiring new hardware procurement.
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What to Verify Before Deploying Speedify in a FIPS Environment
Before deploying Speedify for Routers in a FIPS-restricted environment, IT teams should confirm:
- The target router or Linux server is on Speedify’s supported hardware list, available at support.speedify.com/article/926-what-routers-does-speedify-support.
- The Linux OS on the router or server is configured in FIPS mode with a validated cryptographic module.
- Speedify’s Self-Hosted Server is deployed inside the organization’s compliance boundary with no required outbound traffic to Speedify’s infrastructure for license validation.
- Network connectivity from the Speedify for Routers client to the self-hosted server is within the organization’s network design and security policy.
Speedify’s sales team works with IT teams and contractors to scope deployments for compliance-sensitive environments. Contact Speedify to discuss requirements.
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