--- title: Bypass TAPs - Safety Nets for Your In-line Appliances description: Bypass TAPs can really save the day by enabling the critical network link to up and guaranteeing optimal network uptime even when your in-line security appliances fails or you need to add, remove, and/or upgrade firewalls. image: https://insights.profitap.com/hubfs/Blog%20visuals/Bypass%20TAP%20Safety%20Nets/MainImage_BypassTAPsArticle.jpg --- [![Profitap](https://insights.profitap.com/hubfs/profitap-logo-white-rev1.png "Profitap")](https://www.profitap.com) - [Solutions](https://www.profitap.com/solutions/) - Products - Resources - Company - - - - # Profitap Blog ### Recent Posts ### Categories - [Network Monitoring (75)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/network-monitoring) - [Insights (38)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/insights) - [IOTA (32)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/iota) - [Copper TAPs (31)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/copper-taps) - [ProfiShark (24)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/profishark) - [Fiber TAPs (23)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/fiber-taps) - [Data Center (17)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/data-center) - [Network Packet Brokers (14)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/network-packet-brokers) - [Network Visibility and Cybersecurity (14)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/network-visibility-and-cybersecurity) - [Network Security (13)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/network-security) - [News (13)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/news) - [Product Update (11)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/product-update) - [Field Service (10)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/field-service) - [Case Study (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/case-study) - [OIDA (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/oida) - [Events (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/events) - [Heroes of Packet Analysis (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/heroes-of-packet-analysis) - [Solutions for Government and Defense (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/solutions-for-government-and-defense) - [Power and Utilities Solutions (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/power-and-utilities-solutions) - [Solutions for Logistics (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/solutions-for-logistics) - [cloud (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/cloud) see all ### Archives - [July 2026 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/07) - [June 2026 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/06) - [May 2026 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/05) - [April 2026 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/04) - [March 2026 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/03) - [February 2026 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/02) - [January 2026 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2026/01) - [November 2025 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/11) - [October 2025 (4)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/10) - [September 2025 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/09) - [August 2025 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/08) - [July 2025 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/07) - [May 2025 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/05) - [March 2025 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/03) - [February 2025 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/02) - [January 2025 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2025/01) - [December 2024 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/12) - [November 2024 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/11) - [October 2024 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/10) - [September 2024 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/09) - [August 2024 (8)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/08) - [July 2024 (7)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/07) - [June 2024 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/06) - [May 2024 (6)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/05) - [April 2024 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/04) - [March 2024 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/03) - [February 2024 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/02) - [January 2024 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2024/01) - [December 2023 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/12) - [November 2023 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/11) - [July 2023 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/07) - [June 2023 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/06) - [April 2023 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/04) - [February 2023 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/02) - [January 2023 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2023/01) - [December 2022 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2022/12) - [October 2022 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2022/10) - [April 2022 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2022/04) - [March 2022 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2022/03) - [February 2022 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2022/02) - [January 2022 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2022/01) - [December 2021 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/12) - [October 2021 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/10) - [September 2021 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/09) - [August 2021 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/08) - [June 2021 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/06) - [May 2021 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/05) - [March 2021 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/03) - [February 2021 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/02) - [January 2021 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2021/01) - [November 2020 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/11) - [September 2020 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/09) - [August 2020 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/08) - [July 2020 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/07) - [June 2020 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/06) - [April 2020 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/04) - [March 2020 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/03) - [February 2020 (4)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2020/02) - [September 2019 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2019/09) - [August 2019 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2019/08) - [May 2019 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2019/05) - [April 2019 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2019/04) - [March 2019 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2019/03) - [February 2019 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2019/02) - [December 2018 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/12) - [October 2018 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/10) - [August 2018 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/08) - [July 2018 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/07) - [June 2018 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/06) - [May 2018 (4)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/05) - [April 2018 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/04) - [March 2018 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/03) - [February 2018 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/02) - [January 2018 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2018/01) - [December 2017 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2017/12) - [November 2017 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2017/11) - [October 2017 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2017/10) - [July 2017 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2017/07) - [May 2017 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2017/05) - [February 2016 (1)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2016/02) - [December 2015 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2015/12) - [June 2015 (2)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2015/06) - [May 2015 (3)](https://insights.profitap.com/archive/2015/05) see all ### Stay up to date [Follow @Profitap](https://twitter.com/Profitap?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [Return to Blog](https://insights.profitap.com/) # Bypass TAPs - Safety Nets for Your In-line Appliances - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) To protect your network against an increasing number of outside threats, you need to place in-line security tools (such as Intrusion Prevention Systems - IPS, or firewalls) that check all the traffic on the network line. This way you have a better chance to counter cyberattacks before they can do any harm. [Find out why network security is the rising challenge of the 21st century. ](https://insights.profitap.com/cybersecurity-rising-challenge-of-21st-century) Designed to keep your network online and protected at any cost, all these security in-line appliances can compromise network uptime, if they don’t have a fallback option. Even though most of in-line tools have their own fail-safe capabilities in case of hardware failure, what happens in more common cases like network maintenance, power loss or upgrades? They become a single point of failure in your network. This is where a Bypass TAP can really save the day by enabling the critical network link to stay online, even when the in-line appliance isn't operational anymore.  ![Bypass TAPs](https://insights.profitap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20visuals/Bypass%20TAP%20Safety%20Nets/MainImage_BypassTAPsArticle.jpg?width=600&name=MainImage_BypassTAPsArticle.jpg) This special network TAP has two main features to ensure network uptime: 1. To be able to perform maintenance or any other activity that may involve taking the in-line appliance out of the network, the TAP can be set in **manual Bypass** mode, keeping the network operational.  2. The TAP can actively check if the in-line appliance is correctly connected to functions. This is done by sending **heartbeat packets.**   **Manual Bypass Use Case** **Challenge:** Keep network fully operational during maintenance, upgrade, or troubleshooting. ![Manual-Bypass-Mode-Case](https://insights.profitap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20visuals/Bypass%20TAP%20Safety%20Nets/Manual-Bypass-Mode-Case-Profitap.gif?width=600&name=Manual-Bypass-Mode-Case-Profitap.gif)   **Solution:** By integrating a Bypass TAP into the network, in-line appliances can be accessed at any time, without impacting network uptime or security.  For example, if you want to add, remove, and/or upgrade firewalls. This is done by activating the manual bypass feature in the BP Manager software. This way the traffic is no longer forwarded to the in-line appliance, so it can be freely accessed. When maintenance is done, the bypass mode can be disabled, making the in-line appliance active again.     ## **Heartbeat Functionality Use Case** **Challenge:** Actively track operational status of the in-line appliance. ![Heartbeats-Mode-Use-Case](https://insights.profitap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20visuals/Bypass%20TAP%20Safety%20Nets/Heartbeats-Mode-Use-Case-Profitap.gif?width=600&name=Heartbeats-Mode-Use-Case-Profitap.gif) **Solution:** To actively track if the in-line appliance connected to the Bypass TAP is operational, the TAP uses bidirectional and configurable heartbeat packets with the data stream, that in turn need to be forwarded by the in-line appliance. If the in-line appliance is compromised in any way, these packets will no longer be returned to the TAP. To ensure that the critical network link stays up, the device will enable bypass mode.   ## **Out-of-Band Use Case** **Challenge: **Maintain out-of-band monitoring. **Solution: **Profitap Bypass TAP can be set up in out-of-band mode with no need to rewire, allowing network traffic to be forwarded to intrusion detection systems or other out-of-band appliances.    ## **Does the Bypass TAP really remove the point of failure introduced by an in-line appliance?** Yes, it does. It's a fail-safe device. If the TAP loses power, it will still forward all traffic on the network by bridging the fiber connection on the network ports. For extra redundancy it is possible to connect an extra power supply. These devices also feature Link Failure Propagation, transmitting link failure errors between ports, allowing the network to activate a redundant path, while the TAP stays available for auto-negotiation. ## **If you want a safe and secure network, choose a Bypass TAP** As networks continue to evolve and increase in size and more and more devices are being added to the in-line architecture, uninterrupted connection becomes an important issue.   > This device is critical for those security devices that protect and prevent your network from security breaches. It makes sure your packets are not lost, and all your data is flowing through your network, even when you need to replace, reboot or remove in-line devices. > >   Overall, these highly-efficient tools improve your network reliability, increase application availability, and give you remote monitoring and control that will save you the hefty costs that come with network downtime.  Want to find more about what are the most popular network monitoring tools and what are the main difference between them? Then check our article [Comparing Network Monitoring Tools - TAP vs. SPAN](https://insights.profitap.com/tap-vs-span) [![BypassTAPBanner_CTA](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2954816/9272cdc4-0ef3-4ac4-9b5e-5ded54b9bf2f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2954816/9272cdc4-0ef3-4ac4-9b5e-5ded54b9bf2f)   - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) by [Profitap](https://insights.profitap.com/author/profitap) | Aug 15, 2018 | [Data Center](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/data-center), [Network Security](https://insights.profitap.com/topic/network-security) [**Packet Capture & Analysis**](https://www.profitap.com/iota/) - [IOTA 1G](https://www.profitap.com/iota-1g/) - [IOTA 1G+](https://www.profitap.com/iota-1g-plus/) - [IOTA 10G](https://www.profitap.com/iota-10g/) - [IOTA 10G+](https://www.profitap.com/iota-10g-plus/) - [IOTA 10 CORE](https://www.profitap.com/iota-10-core/) - [IOTA 10 CORE+](https://www.profitap.com/iota-10-core-plus/) - [IOTA 100 CORE](https://www.profitap.com/iota-100-core/)   [**ProfiShark**](https://www.profitap.com/profishark-network-taps/) - [ProfiShark 100M](https://www.profitap.com/profishark-100m/) - [ProfiShark 1G](https://www.profitap.com/profishark-1g/) - [ProfiShark 1G+](https://www.profitap.com/profishark-1g-plus/) - [ProfiShark 10G](https://www.profitap.com/profishark-10g/) - [ProfiShark 10G+](https://www.profitap.com/profishark-10g-plus/)   [**Accessories**](https://www.profitap.com/accessories/) - [Transceivers](https://www.profitap.com/transceivers/) - [Data Diodes](https://www.profitap.com/data-diodes/) - [Connectivity](https://www.profitap.com/accessories/#connectivity/) [**Network Traffic Aggregators**](https://www.profitap.com/network-traffic-aggregators/) - [XX-720G](https://www.profitap.com/xx-720g-network-packet-broker/) - [XX-1800G](https://www.profitap.com/xx-1800g-network-packet-broker/) - [XX-3200G](https://www.profitap.com/xx-3200g-network-packet-broker/)   [**Network Packet Brokers**](https://www.profitap.com/network-packet-brokers/) - [X3-Series](https://www.profitap.com/x3-series-advanced-network-packet-brokers/) - [X2-2010G](https://www.profitap.com/x2-2010g-network-packet-broker/) - [X2-3200G](https://www.profitap.com/x2-3200g-network-packet-broker/) - [X2-6400G](https://www.profitap.com/x2-6400g-network-packet-broker/) - [X2-12800G](https://www.profitap.com/x2-12800g-network-packet-broker/)   **NPB Features** - [Data Masking](https://www.profitap.com/data-masking/) - [Timestamping](https://www.profitap.com/timestamping/) - [Packet Deduplication](https://www.profitap.com/packet-deduplication/) - [Tunneling & De-tunneling](https://www.profitap.com/tunneling-de-tunneling/) - [Packet Slicing](https://www.profitap.com/packet-slicing/) - [GTP IP Filtering](https://www.profitap.com/gtp-ip-filtering/) [**Network TAPs**](https://www.profitap.com/network-taps/) - [Secure TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/secure-data-access/) - [Fiber TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/fiber-taps/) - [Copper TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/copper-taps/) - [Aggregation TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/aggregation-taps/) - [Bypass TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/bypass-taps/) - [Regeneration TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/regeneration-taps/) - [Replication TAPs](https://www.profitap.com/replication-taps/)   **Cloud Visibility** - [VMware](https://www.profitap.com/vtap/) - [Kubernetes](https://www.profitap.com/cloud-tap/) - [AWS EKS](https://www.profitap.com/cloud-tap/) - [Azure VM](https://www.profitap.com/cloud-tap/#azure)   **Centralized Management** - [IOTA CM](https://www.profitap.com/iota-cm/) - [Supervisor](https://www.profitap.com/supervisor/)   [**Solutions**](https://www.profitap.com/solutions/) - [Performance analysis & diagnostics](https://www.profitap.com/performance-analysis-and-diagnostics-solutions/) - [Network troubleshooting](https://www.profitap.com/network-troubleshooting-solutions/) - [Packet forensics](https://www.profitap.com/packet-forensics-solutions/) - [Network security](https://www.profitap.com/network-security-solutions/) - [ICS/OT network monitoring](https://www.profitap.com/ics-ot-network-monitoring-solutions/) [**About Us**](https://www.profitap.com/our-story/) - [Our Story](https://www.profitap.com/our-story/) - [Events](https://www.profitap.com/events/) - [Careers](https://jobs.profitap.com/) - [News](https://news.profitap.com/)   **Resources** - [Knowledge Base](https://kb.profitap.com/) - [Software & Drivers](https://resources.profitap.com/) - [Product Portfolio](https://www.profitap.com/portfolio/) - [Blog](https://insights.profitap.com/) - [Library](https://www.profitap.com/library/) - [Product Updates](https://www.profitap.com/product-updates/) - [Academy](https://www.profitap.com/academy/)   **Partners** - [Partner with Us](https://www.profitap.com/partner-with-us/) - [Our Partners](https://www.profitap.com/our-partners/) - [Locate a Reseller](https://www.profitap.com/locate-a-reseller/)   **Contact** - [Contact Us](https://www.profitap.com/contact-us/) - [Professional Services](https://www.profitap.com/professional-services/) - [Get a Quote](https://www.profitap.com/get-a-quote/) --- © 2026 Profitap HQ B.V. and its licensors. All Rights Reserved — Profitap HQ B.V., High Tech Campus 84, 5656 AG Eindhoven, The Netherlands | [Privacy Policy](https://www.profitap.com/privacy-policy/) | [Terms and Conditions](https://www.profitap.com/terms-and-conditions/) ```json { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Blog", "headline": "Bypass TAPs - Safety Nets for Your In-line Appliances", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2954816/Blog%20visuals/Bypass%20TAP%20Safety%20Nets/MainImage_BypassTAPsArticle.jpg" }, "datePublished": "2018-08-15 07:21:35", "dateModified": "October 23, 2019, 2:41:17 PM", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Profitap" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Profitap HQ B.V.", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2954816/Logos/Profitap-logo-black-orange-whitebg.png" } }, "description": "Bypass TAPs can really save the day by enabling the critical network link to up and guaranteeing optimal network uptime even when your in-line security appliances fails or you need to add, remove, and/or upgrade firewalls. " } ```