TAP Into Network Analysis

Installing a TAP is as easy as changing batteries in a flashlight, according to Hagerty. The TAP is slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes, measuring about 5 inches all around. As soon as the appliance is connected to the router and LAN link, a process that takes less than five minutes, it's up and running.

In a situation where multiple monitoring tools are in use instead of multiple TAPs, solution providers can deploy TAPs with aggregation capabilities. Aggregation TAPs can also take advantage of filtering and multirule mapping.

Network Critical's CriticalTAP is an aggregation TAP with two LC Optical connectors for the production network and two RJ-45 ports for monitoring tools. With this box, the two network streams can be monitored separately or combined into a single stream. The combined traffic is replicated and available through both RJ-45 ports, so each monitoring tool plugged into the box can see the traffic data from both production networks.

Having the combined data available on both RJ-45 ports means on-site maintenance is now possible. The overall monitoring tool can be plugged into one port to examine the packets and find any issues. In a setup situation, where not all the equipment is up, or configurations need to be tested, being able to troubleshoot from the second port can save time.

There's a lot of flexibility in using the aggregation TAP. Traffic can be customized to fit each monitoring tool. One tool might need the aggregated traffic in front of the firewall and the other might want the traffic behind the firewall. Another tool might focus on a subset of servers. An aggregation TAP such as Network Critical's CriticalTAP can easily accommodate all of these customizations.

Next: STEP 4 Analyze