Network TAPs

“Reliable, lossless traffic access for security and monitoring tools.”

What are Gigamon TAPs?

Gigamon Traffic Access Points (TAPs) are hardware devices that provide uncompromised, lossless visibility into network traffic by duplicating packets as they flow through a link.

They form the foundation of the Gigamon Visibility and Analytics Fabric, ensuring monitoring and security tools receive accurate, real-time traffic without impacting production performance.

Gigamon TAPs cover all environments — copper, fiber, high-speed datacenter links, and inline security architectures — with options for passive, active, and bypass TAPs.

Key TAP Families

🔹 Passive TAPs – Série M

• Design: Optical splitters for fiber links and copper passive access.
• Features:
  • Fail-safe access: no impact if TAP loses power.
  • 100% traffic visibility, including errors and malformed packets.
  • Available in single-mode and multi-mode fiber versions, supporting speeds from 1G to 400G.
  • Compact form factors for high-density datacenter deployments.
• Use Cases: Ideal for monitoring links where availability and transparency are critical.

🔹 Active TAPs – G-TAP A Series 2

• Design: Powered TAPs for copper links.
• Features:
  • Active regeneration of traffic, ensuring signal integrity on long or complex links.
  • Aggregation and replication functions built-in.
  • Monitor both sides of full-duplex traffic with a single monitoring port.
  • Hot-swappable power supplies and field-replaceable fans for high availability.
• Use Cases: Best for high-speed, long-distance, or complex datacenter environments where passive TAPs would not guarantee signal integrity.

🔹 Bypass TAPs (for Inline Security)

• Design: Specialized TAPs for inline deployments, sitting between firewalls, IPS, or NDR appliances and the network.
• Features:
  • Fail-to-Wire or Fail-to-Open modes: maintain traffic flow if a security device fails or is taken offline.
  • Integrated heartbeat packets to monitor appliance health and trigger bypass automatically.
  • Support for inline tool chaining — multiple security appliances can be inserted in sequence.
  • High-availability design: redundant power and failover mechanisms.
• Use Cases: Critical for security appliances deployed inline, ensuring they don’t become a single point of failure.

Benefits for the Client

• 100% visibility: Access every packet, error, or anomaly without drops.
• Tool optimization: Deliver clean, reliable traffic streams to monitoring and security tools.
• Reduced risk: Inline TAPs ensure security appliances don’t disrupt traffic during outages or maintenance.
• Compliance-ready: Guaranteed traffic integrity supports audit, forensics, and regulatory monitoring.
• Future-proof design: Support from 1G to 100G, copper and fiber, passive or active, inline or out-of-band.

Why Gigamon TAPs are Different ?

• Lossless traffic capture: unlike SPAN/mirror ports, TAPs guarantee full packet visibility with no drops.
• Comprehensive portfolio: passive, active, and bypass TAPs to fit any architecture.
• High-density, modular options: compact chassis and scalable deployment in large datacenters.
• Part of the Gigamon Visibility Fabric: seamlessly integrates with GigaVUE HC/TA Series and GigaSMART for advanced traffic intelligence.

Typical Use Cases

• Provide raw traffic access to NPMD tools for performance monitoring.
• Feed IDS/IPS and NDR appliances with reliable, lossless packet streams.
• Use Bypass TAPs to deploy firewalls and inline security without creating a bottleneck.
• Combine TAPs with NPBs (HC/TA Series) to create a scalable visibility fabric.
• Support regulatory compliance and forensics with full-fidelity traffic copies.

 Services & Support (What We Offer)

• Network Visibility Assessment – Identify critical points for TAP deployment.
• Design & Installation – Choose between passive, active, and bypass TAPs.
• Integration with NPBs – Connect TAPs to GigaVUE HC/TA for traffic aggregation and enrichment.
• Inline Security Architecture – Deploy Bypass TAPs to secure inline appliances with HA failover.

Managed Services – Continuous monitoring of TAP deployment health and performance.