A hardware device used to capture and monitor network traffic, allowing troubleshooting, analysing performance, and enhancing security.
A Test Access Point (TAP) refers to a hardware device used in computer networking and telecommunications and it is employed for monitoring and capturing data traffic within a network. It acts as an access point, allowing the monitoring and analysis of network traffic without disrupting or affecting the normal operation of the network.
TAPs are typically used in situations where it is necessary to perform network troubleshooting, monitoring, or security analysis. It offers a non-intrusive approach to packet capture, granting network administrators and analysts invaluable insights into network behaviour, performance, and potential security issues. TAPs ensure full-duplex visibility by capturing both incoming and outgoing traffic simultaneously, operating at the physical layer to bypass network protocols and avoiding the need to rely on software-based methods of capturing packets. This guarantee accurate and reliable packet capture without introducing additional latency or altering network traffic.
With TAPs, administrators achieve comprehensive network visibility, troubleshoot problems, optimize performance, and enhance network security.
To learn more and see how Sycope works with TAPs read the blog post here.