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Garland Technology Introduces the FieldTAP For Quick Troubleshooting USB Access

April 21, 2020

NEW YORK, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Garland Technology, a leading provider of network test access point (TAP), packet broker and cloud visibility solutions, today announced the release of the new FieldTAP™. Network TAPs (Test Access Points) are hardware devices that create an exact full duplex copy of network traffic, without compromising network integrity. The FieldTAP is used for on-the-go test monitoring, designed for field engineer troubleshooting.

Garland Technology FieldTAP

"Troubleshooting is as critical as ever with the explosion in wireless IoT devices. With the FieldTAP we want to provide the high quality standard of Garland's Network TAPs in a pocket size, portable and easy to use form factor, so field engineers can easily access packets at any access point," states Chris Bihary, CEO/Co-Founder, Garland Technology. "Garland Technology is focused on continued development and innovation on network access products. We believe building a strong foundation of visibility is the key to better network performance and security."

SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS OF PRODUCT

The FieldTAP is a network TAP that provides a full duplex copy of 1G traffic (2G total) from a single link, easily connected through USB to a laptop or monitoring device. The FieldTAP has a rugged steel design that is lightweight and portable, has two RJ-45 network ports and one USB 3.0 monitoring port, it is powered by USB2/USB3 or external power supply and supports Windows, Linux, macOS operating systems.

It's ideal for troubleshooting 10M/100M/1G access points, including wireless access points, internet routers, phones, computers, IoT Devices, ATMs, Point-of-Sale systems or difficult locations where a performance issue needs attention. These highly efficient TAPs are perfect for a network trouble-shooting tool kit, to easily check an Internet connection, network connectivity, VOIP or tapping a link on-the-go.

The continuous release of new products reflects the ongoing momentum Garland Technology is delivering to their customers worldwide.

FieldTAP Resources
FieldTAP Product information: https://www.garlandtechnology.com/products/fieldtap
Additional troubleshooting information: How to Troubleshoot the Network Part 1 - Common Problems and the Tools to Solve Them

 

For full press release, please visit: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/garland-technology-introduces-the-fieldtap-for-quick-troubleshooting-usb-access-301044219.html

 

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Heartbeats Packets Inside the Bypass TAP

If the inline security tool goes off-line, the TAP will bypass the tool and automatically keep the link flowing. The Bypass TAP does this by sending heartbeat packets to the inline security tool. As long as the inline security tool is on-line, the heartbeat packets will be returned to the TAP, and the link traffic will continue to flow through the inline security tool.

If the heartbeat packets are not returned to the TAP (indicating that the inline security tool has gone off-line), the TAP will automatically 'bypass' the inline security tool and keep the link traffic flowing. The TAP also removes the heartbeat packets before sending the network traffic back onto the critical link.

While the TAP is in bypass mode, it continues to send heartbeat packets out to the inline security tool so that once the tool is back on-line, it will begin returning the heartbeat packets back to the TAP indicating that the tool is ready to go back to work. The TAP will then direct the network traffic back through the inline security tool along with the heartbeat packets placing the tool back inline.

Some of you may have noticed a flaw in the logic behind this solution!  You say, “What if the TAP should fail because it is also in-line? Then the link will also fail!” The TAP would now be considered a point of failure. That is a good catch – but in our blog on Bypass vs. Failsafe, I explained that if a TAP were to fail or lose power, it must provide failsafe protection to the link it is attached to. So our network TAP will go into Failsafe mode keeping the link flowing.

Glossary

  1. Single point of failure: a risk to an IT network if one part of the system brings down a larger part of the entire system.

  2. Heartbeat packet: a soft detection technology that monitors the health of inline appliances. Read the heartbeat packet blog here.

  3. Critical link: the connection between two or more network devices or appliances that if the connection fails then the network is disrupted.

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