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The latest discussion in network visibilty and beyond

Aggregation

Configuring Network Taps for Maximum Effectiveness

Network Taps, in addition to being available for copper or fiber media, can be purchased in a fixed configuration, typically called “duplex Taps” – or as “Aggregation Taps.” The latter category offers options for how the data copies are distributed among the monitor ports. This article will clarify the differences between the two Tap types, as well as exploring the rationale for different Tap configurations, and examples of their applications.

June 22, 2021

Bypass

Chaining Network Bypass Switches

How to use chaining with Inline Monitoring Tools and Network Bypass Switches.

January 31, 2022

Packet Broker

Management system interfaces for TAPs and Network Packet Brokers

When looking at some of the simpler network device types such as taps and network packet brokers there are a few factors involved in trying to determine which management system interfaces should be supported and to what extent.

July 26, 2021

Network Monitoring

The Importance of In-Line Network Taps

Any system is only as good as the data that is put into it. Where you acquire this data and seeing the entire data stream has never been more important. In this post we will discuss the reasons for this, and how to do it on your network.

April 15, 2021

Software Management for Taps and NPBs

In previous articles we reviewed the overall topic of management interfaces to Taps and NPBs and in subsequent chapters took a deep dive into the topics of Fault Management and Configuration Management. In this chapter we will focus on Software Management and its related topics. Subsequent chapters will cover other management topics including accounting, performance monitoring, security and remote access.

How to Troubleshoot Fiber Network TAPs

Network Taps are a crucial part of the tool kit used by engineers responsible for network security, performance, and capacity management. Taps are robust devices that rarely ever exhibit issues, but as with any network equipment – it may occasionally be necessary to troubleshoot them. In some cases this is an inherent part of a multi-layered process of elimination, but in certain circumstances the process might begin with the Tap itself. The following procedures are presented with Datacom Systems fiber Taps* in mind, but the general principles are applicable to all brands of Taps.

Get improved visibility into high speed network connections

The FTP-1516 can reduce the total cost of implementing a monitoring solution by allowing a 40G link to be monitored without using expensive 40G ports. The FTP-1516 allows you to leverage existing 10G monitoring ports and can be a cost effective alternative to upgrading to a 40G monitoring solution.

Is there a benefit to using Network TAPs instead of SPAN ports?

When it comes to monitoring network traffic, there are two main choices: use a network TAP (test access point) or mirror the SPAN port of a network switch. This article helps you decide the best tactic.

Full Network Vulnerability Scanning and its Importance

Security scanning of critical devices should be standard practice on networks, but what about other devices such as TAPs, Network Packet Brokers (NPB) and Bypass switches?