TAP vs Span

Elevate Network Performance and Security with Full Visibility

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Why the Right Network Access Solution is Key to Enhancing Security and Monitoring

Effective network visibility starts with how you access traffic data. Test Access Points (TAPs) and Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) ports are the two primary methods available, and your choice can significantly impact network's security, performance, and compliance.

TAPs provide an unaltered, comprehensive view of all network traffic, ensuring that every packet is captured, including errors and anomalies. This is crucial for accurate monitoring, threat detection and compliance. While SPAN ports may be convenient and cost-effective, they risk packet loss, especially under high traffic conditions, creating potential visibility gaps and security vulnerabilities. Choosing TAPs is a strategic decision that strengthens your network management and security approach.

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Unlocking Network Visibility: The TAP Advantage

Discover how TAPs enhance your network monitoring and security beyond the limitations of SPAN ports. Understand the critical role TAP technology plays in ensuring comprehensive, real-time visibility into your network traffic, to meet today's security, compliance, and monitoring requirements.

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The Power of TAP:
Ensuring Comprehensive Network Monitoring

TAP technology is the gold standard for network visibility, capturing every packet without fail and supporting all network speeds without impacting performance. TAPs offer the reliability, scalability, and security needed for seamless and secure network management.

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TAP vs. SPAN:
Making the Informed Choice

Compare TAP and SPAN technologies side by side to see why TAPs provide superior network integrity, performance, and security. Discover SPAN limitations and how TAPs overcome them, providing 100% accurate data capture and unmatched monitoring capabilities.

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SPAN Mirroring: Weighing
the Risks before You Deploy

SPAN mirroring is often used for network visibility, but security teams must assess the risks associated with using SPAN ports instead of dedicated TAPs. That’s because, depending on network configuration, SPAN mirroring can introduce blind spots, vulnerabilities, and performance issues that impact security monitoring and compliance efforts. Risks can include:

  • At worst, unknown vulnerabilities in a switch can be exploited by hackers, creating an entry point for network breaches.

  • At least, some switches can be off-limits for security solutions, making it impossible to connect monitoring tools.

  • Additional concerns may also include packet loss, altered data, inconsistent traffic flow, and missed threats — especially under high traffic loads.

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A Better Choice: TAPs for Reliable, Secure OT Visibility

Garland Technology’s Network TAPs eliminate these risks by providing 100% packet capture, unfiltered traffic visibility, and tamper-proof security monitoring. Unlike SPAN ports, TAPs ensure accurate threat detection, compliance readiness, and uninterrupted network performance—making them the trusted choice for OT security.

DISCOVER THE TAP ADVANTAGE
Copper TAP-3430x2380 4
Feature
TAPs (Test Access Points)
SPAN Ports
Data Capture
Capture 100% of traffic, including errors and 
all packet sizes.
May miss packets, especially during high traffic.
Impact on
Network
No impact on network performance as they are passive devices.
Can introduce latency and affect switch performance.
Accuracy
Provide an exact, unaltered copy of the traffic for accurate monitoring and analysis.
Altered data due to processing, leading to potential inaccuracies.
Reliability
Highly reliable as they do not depend on the network's state or configuration.
Reliability can be affected by switch CPU load 
or configuration errors.
Security
More secure, offering a tamper-proof method of traffic capture.
Vulnerable to misconfigurations and potentially accessible by unauthorized users.
Packet Loss
No packet loss, ensuring complete visibility into network activities.
Possible packet loss under heavy load, leading to gaps in visibility.
Monitoring
Impact
Passive monitoring without altering traffic 
flow or timing.
May alter packet timing, affecting real-time analysis.
Implementation
Requires physical installation, which can be seen as complex and higher initial cost.
Configured through software, offering flexibility and lower initial cost.
Scalability
Can be perceived as less scalable due to the need for physical devices for each link.
Easily scalable within the switch's capacity by reconfiguring ports.
Legal
Compliance
Forensically sound, making them suitable for compliance and legal investigations.
May not provide the level of detail required for legal compliance due to data alteration and potential packet loss.
Visibility into
Errors
Captures every packet, including error packets, for a comprehensive network assessment.
Typically filters out error packets, which can hide potential issues.

This list encapsulates the essential insights from the whitepaper, highlighting the advantages of TAPs over SPAN ports in achieving comprehensive, secure, and reliable network visibility.

Comprehensive Data Capture: TAPs ensure 100% visibility into network traffic, capturing every packet, including errors and anomalies, unlike SPAN ports which may miss packets under high load conditions.

Unaltered Traffic Analysis: With TAPs, the data is exactly as it traverses the network, providing a true picture for analysis without the risk of packet alteration or timing issues present with SPAN.

Enhanced Security: TAPs offer a secure method for traffic monitoring, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or tampering, making them preferable for environments where security is paramount.

Reliable Performance Monitoring: By delivering all packets, TAPs enable more accurate and reliable performance monitoring and troubleshooting, essential for maintaining optimal network health.

Zero Impact on Network Performance: TAPs operate passively, meaning they don't introduce latency or affect network traffic flow, ensuring that monitoring activities do not impact network performance.

Scalability for Future Growth: TAPs can support various network speeds and types, from 10M to 400G, providing a scalable solution that grows with your network needs.

Legal and Compliance Assurance: The forensic soundness of data captured via TAPs meets compliance requirements for auditing and legal investigations, offering a level of detail and accuracy that SPAN ports cannot guarantee.

Ease of Problem Resolution: The accuracy and completeness of data captured by TAPs simplify the process of diagnosing and resolving network issues, reducing downtime and improving operational efficiency.

Cost-Effectiveness Over Time: While the initial investment in TAPs may be higher than using SPAN ports, their durability, reliability, and minimal maintenance requirements make them a cost-effective solution in the long run.

Simplicity and Peace of Mind: TAPs provide a straightforward, worry-free approach to network monitoring, allowing IT professionals to focus on strategic initiatives rather than troubleshooting network visibility issues.

Q1: What is the main difference between TAP and SPAN for network monitoring?
A1: The main difference lies in how they capture data. TAPs (Test Access Points) provide an exact, unaltered copy of network traffic, including errors and all packet sizes, ensuring no packet is missed. SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) ports, on the other hand, mirror traffic to a designated port for monitoring, which can lead to missed packets, especially under high traffic conditions, and potential data alteration.

Q2: Can using TAPs impact network performance?
A2: No, TAPs are designed to be passive devices that do not impact network performance. They make an exact copy of the traffic without altering the flow or introducing latency, ensuring the network operates as intended while providing valuable data for monitoring and analysis.

Q3: Are SPAN ports a bad choice for network monitoring?
A3: Not necessarily. SPAN ports can be suitable for certain situations, particularly for low-throughput or non-critical monitoring tasks. However, for comprehensive, accurate, and reliable network visibility, especially in high-stakes environments, TAPs are generally considered a better option.

Q4: Is it difficult to implement TAPs into an existing network?
A4: Implementing TAPs requires some planning, as they are physical devices that need to be installed in the network path. However, the process is straightforward, and the benefits of enhanced visibility and security often outweigh the initial effort.

Q5: Why are TAPs considered more secure than SPAN ports?
A5: TAPs are more secure because they are passive devices that cannot be accessed or tampered with through the network. SPAN ports, being software-configured, could potentially be misconfigured or accessed by unauthorized users, posing a security risk.

Q6: How do TAPs handle high network speeds and bandwidth?
A6: TAPs are built to support a wide range of network speeds, from 10M to 400G, and are capable of handling full duplex traffic without loss. This makes them suitable for modern, high-speed network environments where capturing every bit of data is crucial.

Q7: Are there any legal or compliance advantages to using TAPs over SPAN ports?
A7: Yes, the forensic soundness of data captured by TAPs is often required for compliance audits, legal investigations, and maintaining data integrity for security purposes. TAPs capture all packets, including errors, without alteration, providing a level of detail and accuracy essential for legal and compliance requirements.