200-201 Question 257
Select 3An organization is implementing network monitoring to detect potential security threats. The security team is trying to decide between using a network tap or a SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) port for capturing traffic. Which of the following are accurate characteristics of data obtained from taps compared to SPAN ports?
- A
Taps provide a complete, unaltered copy of network traffic.
- B
SPAN ports can introduce packet loss during periods of heavy traffic.
- C
Data captured via taps may be impacted by switch CPU utilization.
- D
SPAN ports allow capturing traffic without requiring physical access to the network.
- E
Taps are limited to capturing only the traffic from a specific VLAN.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, D
Explanation
Taps and SPAN ports have distinct characteristics when it comes to traffic monitoring. Taps provide an unaltered copy of network traffic and operate independently of the switch, making them highly reliable. However, SPAN ports, while more flexible in terms of remote configuration, can suffer from packet loss and performance issues during high traffic loads. It's important to understand these differences to choose the appropriate method based on the organization's monitoring needs.
- A. Correct.
Taps provide a complete, unaltered copy of network traffic because they are hardware devices that passively monitor traffic without modifying it.
- B. Correct.
SPAN ports can introduce packet loss during heavy traffic because they rely on the switch's resources for mirroring traffic, which may lead to dropped packets.
- C. Incorrect.
Data captured via taps is not impacted by switch CPU utilization because taps operate independently of the switch hardware.
- D. Correct.
SPAN ports allow capturing traffic without requiring physical access to the network, as the mirroring can be configured remotely on the switch.
- E. Incorrect.
Taps are not limited to capturing traffic from a specific VLAN; they capture all traffic passing through the link they are connected to.