SharkTap 10/100/1G features

SharkTap


  • The SharkTap10/100/1G is our best seller. Simple but sophisticated.

  • 'carbon copy' repeater front end. 'Zero delay', byte accurate, protocol agnostic. - "Like it's not even there"

  • Aggregating TAP - packets from both Network ports mirrored to single TAP port.

  • Autonegotiate 10/100/1000Base-T on all ports, with auto-crossover. PoE (power) pass through.

  • Simple plug and play - no settings, no configuration.



SharkTap

  • Powered by USB B (printer) cable (included).

  • Can be powered from any USB port - does not make a USB connection, only uses power.

  • Or you can power it from a phone charger or equivalent

  • You'll need a CAT-5 (or better) patch cord or two (not included)

  • Requires a free ethernet interface on your PC. No RJ45 ethernet jack? Consider the SharkTapUSB

  • Works with capture and analysis software such as Wireshark: wireshark.org

SharkTap10/100/1G Specifications

  • Directly supports 10Base-T, 100Base-T and 1000Base-T links

  • Dimensions (including tabs): 2.9"W x 5.1"L x 1.10"H

  • Passes Power Over Ethernet (PoE), 350mA per pair (at 57V)

  • Draws approximately 350mA, depending on link speeds (well under USB spec of 500mA)

  • Temperature range: 0 to 70 Celcius. Nominal range - not formally guaranteed

  • Warranty: 30 day return, 1 year defects in parts and workmanship

SharkTap10/100/1G materials

Quick Start Guide

EU Certificate of compliance

Regulatory summary

Specifications

Statement/Letter of Volatility

Frequently Asked Questions


Is the SharkTap an aggregate tap?

  • Yes, the SharkTap will 'aggregate' packets from the two NETWORK ports and mirror (i.e. duplicate) them on the tap port. If two packets are received at the same time they will be duplicated sequentially on the tap port. The SharkTap has a 64KB buffer to absorb bursts of full duplex traffic.

Does the SharkTap respond to flow control packets?

  • The SharkTap doesn't respond to any kind of packet. Everything between idle line and the next idle is considered a packet. The SharkTap needs to look for the SFD nibble in the preamble to get byte alignment on 10 and 100Base-T, but beyond that the SharkTap completely ignores the data.

Will the SharkTap "fail open"?

  • Yes - if the SharkTap loses power, the Network link will stop working. The SharkTapBYP model provides power-fail bypass

Does the SharkTap support Power over Ethernet?

  • Yes, it does. The center tap of of the isolation transformers for each pair are connected to the corresponding center tap of the other NETWORK port. So the high speed data is blocked, but DC power is passed through. This is done for all four pairs, so all standard PoE techniques are supported. There are no settings, it just works.

Will the SharkTap show packets with bad FCS?

  • Yes. As above, the SharkTap does not care about packet format. But note, not all NIC cards will accept bad packets, and/or you may have to configure your NIC for this. On linux it's generally the rx-all option in ethtool.

Can the SharkTap drop packets?

  • Only on the TAP port. If the sustained, combined data rate of send + receive data is greater than 1000Mbps, the SharkTap will not be able to duplicate all packets to the TAP port, so some packets can be dropped. This is not common, but it can happen. The SharkTap will never drop or alter data between the NETWORK ports.

Is the SharkTap a hub?

  • No. The SharkTap will not pass packets from the TAP port to the Network ports. So you cannot access or affect the network you are monitoring, from the monitoring PC (either on purpose or by mistake!)



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