# What is a network TAP?

A network TAP (test access point) is a small hardware device placed on a network cable that copies all the traffic passing through it to a monitoring port, without changing or delaying the original traffic. It does the same job as a mirror port on a managed switch, but works on any cable and does not drop packets when the switch is busy. TAPs are common where switches are unmanaged, in industrial networks, or where an auditor wants an independent copy. With NetSenX, an agent on a host connected to a TAP watches the whole segment and counts as one device.

FAQ: [What is…? Network and security terms](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/glossary) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/what-is-a-network-tap

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