Why Network taps
Network taps are essential tools for achieving comprehensive visibility into network traffic, both in physical and cloud environments. They provide a reliable method to access and monitor data flows without disrupting network operations.
What Are Network Taps?
A network tap (Test Access Point) is a hardware device that creates an exact copy of the traffic passing between network nodes. Installed directly onto the network, taps are plug-and-play devices that do not require costly hands-on management. They support various interfaces and can handle speeds up to 400 Gbps, ensuring compatibility with both copper and optical fiber networks.
Why Use Network Taps?
- Uninterrupted Monitoring: Taps provide permanent access to network traffic, allowing for continuous monitoring without introducing bottlenecks or points of failure.
- High Reliability: Unlike span (mirror) ports on switches, taps are passive devices and do not interfere with the data stream, ensuring that network performance remains unaffected during monitoring activities. This results in 100% visibility, without dropped packets or altered timestamps.
- Enhanced Security: By providing an exact copy of network traffic, taps enable security tools to detect threats and vulnerabilities in real-time, enhancing the overall security posture.
Network Taps in Cloud Environments
In cloud infrastructures, virtual taps (vTaps) perform a similar function by capturing and mirroring traffic within virtualized environments. This ensures that organizations maintain visibility into their cloud-based assets, facilitating effective monitoring and security measures.
Keysight's Network Tap Solutions
Keysight offers a comprehensive range of network taps designed to meet diverse monitoring needs:
- Flex Taps: These modular, passive fiber optical taps provide 100% visibility into network traffic without degradation or disruption. They are flexible, scalable, and can support speeds up to 400 Gbps.
- Copper Taps: Designed for copper networks, these taps offer complete traffic visibility and network isolation, dropping any traffic that is accidentally or maliciously transmitted back onto the monitor ports. They have no IP address, eliminating exposure to external attacks.
- Patch Taps: Optimized for high-performance networks, patch taps reduce fiber costs and rack space while improving light loss budgets. They are simple to install and can be deployed at any inline connection with no overhead.
- Virtual Taps: Virtual taps (vTaps) enable you to access east-west traffic in virtual machines and cloud infrastructures, and tunnel it to either a physical or virtual network packet broker.
Better data for better decisions
By implementing Keysight's network tap solutions, especially in conjunction with Packet Brokers, organizations can achieve comprehensive visibility into their network traffic, ensuring optimal performance and robust security across both physical and cloud environments.
Read more on: Dynamic Network Intelligence starts with Network Taps
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