What does a network TAP do?

A network TAP creates an exact copy of all data flowing between two points in your network. It does this without interrupting or changing any of the live traffic. Think of it like a rear-view mirror for your network always giving you full visibility. Network Critical TAPs ensure you capture 100% of the data, every time.

What is a network TAP used for?

TAPs are used to monitor network traffic for performance, security, or compliance. They give tools like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, or network analysers a clean, reliable copy of your data to work with without ever interfering with your actual traffic.

Why are network TAPs so expensive?

High quality TAPs are built to be ultra-reliable and fail-safe, especially in critical environments where downtime isn’t an option. Network Critical TAPs are engineered to handle high speeds and work flawlessly 24/7, so while they’re an investment, they save time, money, and outages in the long run.

What’s the difference between a TAP and port mirroring?

Port mirroring (SPAN) uses a switch to copy traffic, but under heavy load, it can drop packets or miss data. TAPs don’t have this problem. They give you a complete, lossless copy of all traffic. If full visibility matters to you, TAPs are the better choice.

What is a network TAP switch?

It usually refers to a hybrid device that combines the traffic-copying function of a TAP with some switching or filtering features. At Network Critical, we offer platforms like the SmartNA-PortPlus that do exactly that: TAP, filter, and route traffic all in one.

Network TAPs | Network Critical

Providing Total Network Visibility For

Ethernet TAPs

Monitor your network in real time without the risk of downtime. Heartbeat technology ensures critical traffic flows even when monitoring tools fail.

Suitable for copper connections
Automatic bypass if tools go offline
Flexible deployment options

Explore Active Ethernet TAPs

SmartNA with two layers on blue background

Passive Fiber TAPs

Improve network monitoring with our always-on Passive Fiber Optical TAPs. Simultaneously capturing sent and received data, our TAPs provide total visibility, even in the event of an electricity outage.

No configuration needed
Zero latency
Real-time monitoring up to 400Gbps speeds

Explore Passive Fiber TAPs

ByPass TAPS

The SmartNA-XL™ bypass TAPs detects when inline security tools fail and redirects traffic in real-time.

Dual hot-swappable power supplies
Modular chassis supporting 1G, 10G, and 40G
Flexible deployment options

Explore Bypass TAPS

Get the Full Picture of Your Network With

100% Traffic Capture: Retrieve every byte of network traffic data – never let a threat go unnoticed.

Zero Impact: Monitor your network without any risk to performance or reliability.

The Industry Choice: 90% of companies in high-compliance industries prefer TAPs to SPAN.

Lower Costs: Reduce troubleshooting time and operational costs by up to 50%.

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Product

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

Height in Rack Units (RU)

1-2RU

1RU

Width

19”

AC Redundant Power Supply (Hot Swappable)

DC Redundant Power Supply (Hot Swappable)

Hot Swappable Cooling Fans

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

Physical Interfaces

2 x QSFP / 20 x SFP+

(Numbers show maximum physical interface, but these cannot be used all together at once.)

Max. Number of 1GB Ports

Max. Number of 10GB Ports

Max. Number of 40GB Ports

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

10/100/1000BASE-T Copper Port

1Gb SFP Port

10Gb SFP+ Port

25Gb SFP28 Port

40Gb QSFP+ Port

10/100/1000BASE-T Copper TAP

1Gb/10Gb Fiber TAP

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

1G Optical

1G Bypass Copper

1G Bypass Optical

10G Bypass Optical (This is with the 10G V-Line Module)

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

10/100/1000BASE-T CopperPhysical Bypass Protection

1Gb Fiber Active BypassProtection

10Gb Fiber Active BypassProtection (Also available in 40G and 100G)

User Defined Bit-level Filtering

Traffic Aggregation

Traffic Distribution

FCC/CE Certified

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

Layer 2-4 Packet Filtering

Application Session Filtering

Persistent Load Balancing

Static Load Balancing

Header Stripping

Tunneling/De-Tunneling

Packet Slicing

Payload Masking

Source Port Labeling

SmartNA

SmartNA-XL

RESTful API

Role Based User Accounts

Multiple Levels of User Account

SNMP Traps

Event Monitoring and Alarm

Generation

Link Status Trap

Traffic Statistic/Counter in Each Port

WebUI (HTML5) for System Access

CLI Configuration and Management

GUI Configuration and Management

SNMP v2c & 3 Support

Authentication & Authorisation TACACS+

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FAQS

A network TAP creates an exact copy of all data flowing between two points in your network. It does
this without interrupting or changing any of the live traffic. Think of it like a rear-view mirror for your
network always giving you full visibility. Network Critical TAPs ensure you capture 100% of the data,
every time.
TAPs are used to monitor network traffic for performance, security, or compliance. They give tools
like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, or network analysers a clean, reliable copy of your data to
work with without ever interfering with your actual traffic.
It usually refers to a hybrid device that combines the traffic-copying function of a TAP with some
switching or filtering features. At Network Critical, we offer platforms like the SmartNA-PortPlus that
do exactly that: TAP, filter, and route traffic all in one.

High quality TAPs are built to be ultra-reliable and fail-safe, especially in critical environments where
downtime isn’t an option. Network Critical TAPs are engineered to handle high speeds and work
flawlessly 24/7, so while they’re an investment, they save time, money, and outages in the long run.
Port mirroring (SPAN) uses a switch to copy traffic, but under heavy load, it can drop packets or miss
data. TAPs don’t have this problem. They give you a complete, lossless copy of all traffic. If full
visibility matters to you, TAPs are the better choice.

NETWORK TAPS

See All Your Network Traffic. All the Time.

Providing Total Network Visibility For

Unhackable Hardware, Uncompromised Visibility

Ethernet TAPs

Passive Fiber TAPs

ByPass TAPS

Get the Full Picture of Your Network With

What Our Customers Say

Proud to Partner With

Find Network Solutions That Work for You

Product

FAQS

What does a network TAP do?

What is a network TAP used for?

What is a network TAP switch?

Why are network TAPs so expensive?

What’s the difference between a TAP and port mirroring?

What is a Network TAP?

A Comprehensive Guide to Network Visibility

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