[ipv6hackers] Best Network Tap - for home

[Pierre Emeriaud]

2013/7/12 Gert Doering <gert at space.net>:
>
>
> You can't switch off link negotiation on 1000BaseT

Indeed, but you can force the link down to 100BaseTX easily, and then
use a passive tap. That's how the ThrowingStar tap[0] works:

"The Throwing Star LAN Tap is designed to monitor 10BASET and
100BASETX networks. It is not possible for an unpowered tap to perform
monitoring of 1000BASET (Gigabit Ethernet) networks, so the Throwing
Star LAN Tap intentionally degrades the quality of 1000BASET target
networks, forcing them to negotiate a lower speed (typically
100BASETX) that can be passively monitored. This is the purpose of the
two capacitors (C1 and C2)."


The schematics can be found here[1], and the project page[0] lists
several shops that sells it.


[0] http://greatscottgadgets.com/throwingstar/
[1] http://greatscottgadgets.com/throwingstar/throwing-star-20110217.tar.gz

--
pierre