Top 7 Network TAPs for 5G Standalone Core Monitoring in 2026

5G standalone (SA) cores separate control and user plane functions across distributed infrastructure. That split creates more links to watch and far less room for blind spots.

User plane traffic on N3, N6 and N9 now runs at 100G and 400G between core and edge sites. Signalling on N2 and N4 sets up, moves and tears down every subscriber session. Service assurance probes, NDR platforms and lawful intercept systems all need lossless copies of that traffic.

SPAN sessions on core switches rarely keep up at these speeds. Worse, they drop packets silently during the traffic peaks you most need to see.

Hardware TAPs and packet brokers give your tools a dependable feed instead. The seven vendors below are compared on port speed, 5G-specific processing and deployment fit. Each entry covers where the platform is strong and where it fits in an SA rollout.

5G Standalone Core TAPs at a Glance

1. Network Critical

Network Critical | SmartNA-PortPlus HyperCore, SmartNA-PortPlus, Passive Fiber Optical TAPs

Network Critical designs TAPs and packet brokers in the UK and sells them on perpetual licences. For core aggregation points, the SmartNA-PortPlus HyperCore provides 32 QSFP-DD ports and 25.6 Tbps of throughput. It supports up to 32 ports at 400G or 64 ports at 100G.

At regional and edge sites, the SmartNA-PortPlus scales from 48 to 194 ports across 1G to 100G. Its non-blocking base unit delivers 1.8 Tbps at line rate. DC inputs from -40 to -72 VDC suit telco power plants. Session-aware load balancing by IP address, protocol, port, VLAN or MAC keeps sessions intact for downstream probes.

Some core links cannot tolerate any active electronics. For those, passive optical TAPs need no power and cover 1G to 100G, with up to 16 TAPs per 1RU.

Drag-n-Vu handles filters and port maps through a drag-and-drop interface. One-click rollback and an open API support automated change control. Network Critical's customer research puts typical deployment time at under two hours.

Traffic leaves the platform as standard packets, so it feeds any probe, NDR or SIEM you choose. Subscriber correlation stays in the analytics layer you already run.

Best for: Operators who want lossless 100G and 400G core access without subscription pricing or a locked analytics stack.

Proven results:

• Vodafone: Achieved 100% accurate traffic visibility on key links across four generations of mobile network
• Darktrace: Used the SmartNA-PortPlus API to update filters and port maps automatically, without manual reconfiguration
• State of Maryland: Maintained unified communications service quality and tested new services before rollout

Vodafone is the closest match to a mobile core deployment. Darktrace and Maryland show API-driven automation and new-service testing, both common requirements in SA rollouts.

2. Gigamon

Gigamon | GigaVUE-TA400, GigaVUE-HC3, GigaSMART 5G CUPS

Gigamon holds the largest share of the deep observability market and invests heavily in mobile core visibility. Its GigaSMART 5G CUPS application correlates control and user plane traffic in SA cores. Gigamon's documentation lists N11, N3 and N4 as the supported interfaces. The feature runs on GigaVUE-HC3 nodes and needs a separate 5G-Correlation and CUPS licence.

For aggregation, the GigaVUE-TA400 offers 32 ports at 400G, 100G or 40G in 1RU. Each 400G port can break out to four 100G links. On some TA400E variants, activating 400G speeds needs an additional port licence.

In 2023, Gigamon reported 43 mobile operators using its pipeline for 5G core production, deployment or trials. It also cites validated integrations with Ericsson and Nokia for visibility into encrypted 5G core traffic.

The trade-offs are cost and complexity. Subscription licensing is a common friction point at renewal, and larger deployments typically need specialist engineering support. Operators already standardised on Gigamon gain the most from its 5G feature set.

3. Keysight

Keysight | Vision X, Vision 400 Series, MobileStack

Keysight's visibility line comes from the Ixia acquisition and sits inside a wider test and measurement business. MobileStack is its mobile core software, running on the 3RU Vision X packet broker.

Keysight states that MobileStack on Vision X correlates hundreds of millions of subscriber sessions per chassis. The same page cites close to 2 Tbps of user plane traffic per chassis. Features include GTP correlation, GTP load balancing, filtering, sampling and slice awareness.

The Vision 400 Series handles 400G links and won a Frost and Sullivan innovation award in 2024. Keysight uses FPGA hardware acceleration to hold line rate with filters enabled. A drag-and-drop GUI covers day-to-day configuration. Keysight also describes methods for accessing traffic inside encrypted 5G cores.

Pricing sits at the premium end of the market, broadly in line with Gigamon over three years. Visibility is one business line among many at Keysight, so visibility-specific references can be thinner in RFPs.

4. NETSCOUT

NETSCOUT | nGenius 7000 Series Packet Flow Switches, NETSCOUT TAP family, InfiniStreamNG

NETSCOUT approaches the 5G core from the service assurance side. Its InfiniStreamNG platform supports both standalone and non-standalone 5G. In 2024, NETSCOUT announced a multi-year agreement covering a major European operator's 5G SA environment.

For packet access, the nGenius 5000 and 7000 Series Packet Flow Switches run from 1G to 400G. They filter, load balance, aggregate and replicate traffic, and scale through self-organising mesh technology. NETSCOUT describes the 5000 Series as the first packet broker built on Open Compute Platform hardware. NETSCOUT TAPs, including high-density fibre TAP chassis, feed the switches.

NETSCOUT also promotes slice-aware visibility from the RAN through to the core. That suits operators building SLA-backed slicing services.

The trade-off is architectural. The full value appears when you run NETSCOUT probes and analytics alongside its packet brokers. Teams that want to choose their own analytics tools may find the stack less open.

5. Garland Technology

Garland Technology | Passive Fiber TAPs, BiDi Passive Fiber TAPs, Packet Brokers

Garland is a US-based TAP specialist that advertises no subscriptions or post-purchase fees. Its passive fibre TAPs span 1G to 400G in single-mode and multi-mode variants. MPO/MTP models cover 40G, 100G and 400G links, with OM5 and BiDi options. Garland states that it tests every TAP before shipping.

Garland's 5G reference comes from a national mobile network launch. The provider paired 25G passive fibre TAPs with SYNESIS portable capture to troubleshoot fronthaul. Fronthaul sits outside the core, but the project shows field-ready 25G access.

The range also includes aggregation, regeneration and bypass TAPs, plus packet brokers for filtering and load balancing. Products are manufactured in the USA, which matters for some public sector buyers.

Garland does not publish 5G core correlation features. Its packet broker range is narrower at the high end than the larger incumbents. Configuration follows a traditional TAP-led workflow rather than a graphical rule engine.

6. APCON

APCON | IntellaView, IntellaView 400G EdgeSwitch, HyperEngine, ApconTap

APCON is a privately owned packet broker specialist based in Wilsonville, Oregon. Its IntellaView platform combines modular chassis, blades and switches supporting 1G to 400G. In 2024, APCON added a 32-port 400G EdgeSwitch plus 28-port and 16-port blades.

The HyperEngine blade adds deduplication, packet slicing, application filtering and NetFlow generation. APCON documentation specifies up to 400G of total throughput across four service engines. Data masking and slicing support compliance-led monitoring under frameworks such as HIPAA and PCI DSS. ApconTap passive optical TAPs provide link access, with short-range, long-range and bidirectional models.

APCON positions IntellaView for bandwidth-heavy workloads, including 5G. However, it does not publish mobile core features such as GTP correlation. Its newer ThreatGuard software runs intrusion detection directly on APCON hardware.

Pricing is quote-based through partners. APCON's brand recognition and analyst footprint are smaller than those of Gigamon or Keysight.

7. Profitap

Profitap | MOD-TAP, MTP Fiber TAPs, IOTA

Profitap is a Netherlands-based vendor with a strong European field presence. Its passive fibre TAPs monitor 1G to 400G links and carry a ten-year warranty. The MOD-TAP chassis mixes TAP modules of different speeds in one enclosure. MTP models such as the F8MY tap eight 400GBASE-SR8 links in a single slim panel.

The IOTA line combines access, capture and analysis in one device. That suits troubleshooting at edge sites or smaller core locations. Profitap also offers cloud TAP options for Kubernetes and AWS, plus centralised management through Supervisor.

Passive TAPs need no power and introduce no point of failure. That makes them a practical fit for N3 and N6 fibre runs.

The limits show at service provider scale. Profitap's 400G packet broker positioning is lighter than the larger incumbents. Analyst coverage is limited, and North American coverage relies mainly on channel partners.

How to Choose the Right TAPs for Your 5G Standalone Core

Map the interfaces you need to see

Start with the interfaces your tools must observe. Most SA monitoring plans cover a mix of these physical tap points:

• N3 between the gNB and UPF, carrying GTP-U user plane traffic
• N6 between the UPF and the data network, where security tools usually sit
• N9 between UPFs in distributed and edge designs
• N2 and N4, carrying NGAP and PFCP signalling

Service-based interface traffic between containerised network functions often never touches a physical link. Plan for vendor or cloud-native capture there, alongside hardware access.

Size for 400G, even if you start at 100G

UPF aggregation links are moving from 100G to 400G as traffic grows. Choose a platform that adds 400G ports without replacing the chassis you buy today. Breakout support also matters, so one 400G port can serve four 100G tool connections.

Decide where correlation lives

Some brokers correlate GTP sessions on the box. Others pass clean, filtered traffic to probes that already correlate. On-box correlation reduces probe load but ties you to one vendor's licensing. If your probes already correlate, a tool-agnostic layer of network packet brokers may cost far less.

Protect inline security tools

Firewalls and IPS appliances often sit inline on N6. A bypass tap keeps traffic flowing if an inline tool fails or reboots. Check failover behaviour at your actual link speed before you buy.

Check power and site fit

Core and edge sites often run on -48 VDC rather than AC. Confirm DC power options, hot-swap supplies and rack depth for every site type. Passive TAPs remove the power question entirely on the most critical links.

Model three-year cost, not purchase price

Subscription licences, per-port fees and correlation add-ons change the real cost of a visibility layer. Ask each vendor for a three-year total, including support and expansion. Perpetual licensing with annual support keeps that figure predictable as port counts grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need network TAPs for a 5G standalone core?

Yes, if your tools need lossless traffic for service assurance, security or lawful intercept. Core switches can mirror traffic through SPAN, but sessions oversubscribe at 100G and 400G. Dropped packets leave gaps in KPIs and forensic evidence, and no alarm fires when it happens. Network Critical's comparison of network TAPs vs SPAN covers the trade-offs in detail.

Can physical TAPs see service-based interface traffic?

Only where that traffic crosses a physical link. SBI messages between functions on the same host or cluster stay inside the virtual network. They are also usually TLS-encrypted, so they need vendor mirroring or cloud-native capture. Physical TAPs remain the dependable source for N3, N6 and N9 links between sites.

What is GTP correlation, and do I need it?

GTP correlation links user plane tunnels to the subscriber sessions that created them. It lets probes analyse traffic per subscriber, per slice or per service. You need it somewhere in your stack, but not always in the packet broker. Many service assurance probes correlate natively, so the broker only needs to filter and balance traffic.

How much does a 5G core visibility layer cost?

Costs depend mainly on port count, licensing model and on-box processing features. Subscription-based platforms add annual fees that rise with capacity. Correlation and decryption features often carry separate licences. Request itemised three-year quotes so you compare like with like.

Should I use passive or active TAPs in a 5G core?

Passive optical TAPs suit most core fibre links because they need no power and add no failure point. Active TAPs suit links that need signal regeneration, copper media or inline bypass. At 400G, confirm the TAP matches your optic type, such as SR8 or DR4, before ordering.

Build Your 5G Core Visibility Layer With Network Critical

Your SA core can only be assured as well as your tools can see it. Lossless access at 100G and 400G sets the ceiling for every probe and security platform you run.

Network Critical gives you that access without a subscription. Perpetual licensing delivers a 40 to 60 per cent lower three-year TCO than leading subscription-based platforms. Drag-n-Vu lets your network team configure filters and port maps in under two hours. And standard packet output feeds whichever probes, NDR or SIEM platforms you already use.

Explore the full range of network taps and packet brokers for your core and edge sites. Then talk to the Network Critical team to request a free network audit of your 5G monitoring points.