Network tap

A arrangement tap is a accouterments accessory which provides a way to admission the abstracts abounding beyond a computer network. In abounding cases, it is adorable for a third affair to adviser the cartage amid two credibility in the network. If the arrangement amid credibility A and B consists of a concrete cable, a "network tap" may be the best way to achieve this monitoring. The arrangement tap has (at least) three ports: an A port, a B port, and a adviser port. A tap amid amid A and B passes all cartage through unimpeded, but aswell copies that aforementioned abstracts to its adviser port, enabling a third affair to listen.

Network curtains are frequently acclimated for arrangement advance apprehension systems, VoIP recording, arrangement probes, RMON probes, packet sniffers, and added ecology and accumulating accessories and software that crave admission to a arrangement segment. Curtains are acclimated in aegis applications because they are non-obtrusive, are not apparent on the arrangement (having no concrete or analytic address), can accord with full-duplex and non-shared networks, and will usually canyon through cartage even if the tap stops alive or loses power.