Abstract: A network tap includes a first network connector, a second network connector, a third network connector for connecting to a monitoring device, a phase locked loop, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to extract a clock signal from a first signal on an output of one of the first and second network connectors, provide the clock signal to the phase locked loop, receive a reference clock signal derived from the recovered clock signal from the phase locked loop and clock a second signal on the input of the other one of the first and second network connectors using the received reference clock signal if a link has been established between a first network device and the first network connector and a link has been established between a second network device and the second network connector.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a network traffic monitoring device. The network traffic monitoring device comprises an analysis component for analyzing one or more data packets. Further, the network traffic monitoring device comprises a network traffic capture component comprising a first network connector for receiving a first signal from a first network device. An example of such a first network device is a network switch, which may be the case if the network traffic monitoring device is used in a span in configuration. At least part of the first signal represents a first data packet. The network traffic capture component comprises hardware implemented logic, such as one or more field programmable gate arrays, configured to determine the first data packet based on the received first signal and provide the determined first data packet to the analysis component.

Abstract: A network tap comprises a set of optical signal regeneration circuits and a failover circuit. The set of optical signal regeneration circuits is configured to convert an input optical signal from one network device to an electromagnetic signal and generate output optical signals for another network device and for a monitoring device from the electromagnetic signal. The failover circuit is configured to provide the input optical signal to the set of optical signal generation circuits in a normal mode and provide the input optical signal to the other network device in a failure mode.

Abstract: A network tap includes a first network connector, a second network connector, a third network connector for connecting to a monitoring device, a phase locked loop, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to extract a clock signal from a first signal on an output of one of the first and second network connectors, provide the clock signal to the phase locked loop, receive a reference clock signal derived from the recovered clock signal from the phase locked loop and clock a second signal on the input of the other one of the first and second network connectors using the received reference clock signal if a link has been established between a first network device and the first network connector and a link has been established between a second network device and the second network connector.