Computer networks form the backbone of effective communication between individuals and organizational systems. However, the growing volume and complexity of network systems have also introduced high levels of security threat. In May 2009, it was reported that TJX companies, a leading brand in apparel and home fashion industry, reported $139 million loss solely attributed to data security breach. Network vulnerability has lead to the use of sophisticated technology to ensure data protection. Ethernet network TAP is one of the most effective technologies for traffic monitoring. What is Ethernet Network TAP? Ethernet network TAP is a passive device that is installed into the network. It uses a category -5 (Cat 5) cable to connect to the network. The access points for traffic range are defined to collect data from the targeted network segment. This data is transferred to the network administrator for analysis. Using two-way connection, it is possible to monitor traffic in both the lines of the network. This eliminates the need to reconnect to different access points to receive data from the other segment of the network. Ethernet network TAP neither adds latency into the system under monitoring nor does it interrupt the network flow. It can be easily added to the network link without any need to reconfigure switches or network topology. The use of switches for network monitoring has several flaws. Switches tend to lose data packets and error reports under heavy traffic conditions. This can severely affect the troubleshooting efforts. Ethernet TAPs captures and manages entire traffic information inline with the network. Its small shape makes it possible to hide the device from normal visibility. Thus, an intentional harm to the device can be avoided. It can also be used as a portable sniffing device to detect network intrusion. Types of Ethernet Network TAP Ethernet network TAPs are available in copper and fire optic media in the following data range: 1.Gigabit Ethernet 2.10 Gigabit Ethernet An aggregation Ethernet TAP integrates traffic from different network TAPs and send to a common network monitoring tool. On the other hand, regeneration Ethernet TAP duplicates traffic and forwards the data to multiple monitoring tools. Also, all Ethernet network TAPs can be used virtually with every network topology.
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