Written by Administrator
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19 April 2010
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A network TAP is a hardware device which provides a way to access the data flowing across a computer network. Computer networks, including the Internet, are collections of devices, such as computers, routers, and switches, that are connected to each other.
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The connections can utilize different technologies, such as Ethernet, 802.11, FDDI, and ATM. In many cases, it is desirable for a third party to monitor the network traffic between two points in the network, point A and point B. If the network between points A and B consists of a physical cable, a network TAP may be the best way to accomplish this monitoring. The network TAP has at least three ports -- an A port, a B port, and a monitor port. To place a TAP between points A and B, the network cable between point A and point B is replaced with a pair of cables, one going to the TAP's A port, one going to the TAP's B port. The TAP passes through all traffic between A and B, so A and B still think they are connected to each other, but the TAP also copies the traffic between A and B to its monitor port, enabling a third party to listen. |
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Schematic Diagram of an Aggregation TAP
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| Schematic Diagram of a Multi Aggregation TAP |
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About TAP
