# What is a SPAN port, and do I need special hardware?

A SPAN port (switch port analyser, also called port mirroring) is a switch setting that copies the traffic of other ports to one port, where a sensor can watch it. Most managed switches support it, usually in the web interface under a name such as mirroring or monitor session; unmanaged switches do not. A network TAP is a small device that does the same on a cable, for places without a managed switch or where you want a copy that cannot drop packets under load. Mirror the uplink to your router or the ports of your servers to see the most. With NetSenX, one agent on a SPAN or TAP port watches a whole segment and counts as one device.

FAQ: [Small business monitoring](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/smb) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/what-is-a-span-port

## Read next

- https://netsenx.com/en/ndr-for-small-business
- https://netsenx.com/en/pricing

## Related questions

- [Do I need a TAP or SPAN port for network monitoring?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/do-i-need-a-tap-or-span-port-for-network-monitoring)
- [How long does it take to install NetSenX?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/how-long-does-it-take-to-install-netsenx)
- [Does network monitoring work if our computers run different operating systems?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/does-network-monitoring-work-with-mixed-operating-systems)
- [Can network monitoring slow down our network or computers?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/can-network-monitoring-slow-down-our-network)
- [What does a network sensor actually collect: content or metadata?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/what-does-a-network-sensor-actually-collect)