--- title: Introduction to Network Packet Brokers description: Learn about the benefits of implementing Network Packet Brokers for efficient data flow management and optimization in network monitoring infrastructure. Gain insights on Profitap's high-performance NPB solutions. --- [Blog | Profitap](https://insights.profitap.com) # [Introduction to Network Packet Brokers](https://insights.profitap.com/introduction-to-network-packet-brokers) Written by [Profitap](https://insights.profitap.com/author/profitap) | Jul 23, 2024 1:39:03 PM # A tool to empower tools ## Manage and optimize data flow to network security and performance monitoring systems With constantly growing network architectures, acquiring access to traffic for monitoring and analysis is becoming increasingly challenging, both due to the number of capture points, and the number of tools competing for this data. To help us mitigate these challenges, the ideal solution for managing and optimizing data flow is the implementation of Network Packet Brokers (NPBs). But what is an NPB? When looking at network infrastructure, we often see tools attached to different points along that infrastructure. Once inserted between the tools and the network, a packet broker lifts that tool plane. Traffic from the network's access points feeds directly into the packet broker, and we then decide which traffic should go where at the packet broker level. We might want to send all of the data to certain tools, while other tools may only need a specific part of the traffic. The NPB receives traffic from the network analysis points, and can then perform appropriate processing operations (filtering, packet slicing, aggregation, replication, deduplication, load balancing, media type conversion, speed conversion, etc.), before sending it to the right tools. This decreases the load on the tools by sending only clean, actionable data, and also helps increase the lifespan of legacy tools. Effectively implementing network packet brokers allows better budgeting: rather than buying more tools to meet increased demands, you can leverage the ones you already have. Network Packet Brokers deployed in the network monitoring infrastructure also offer greater flexibility. The traffic flow configuration can be changed remotely through its GUI/CLI interfaces without data center access. | **What is an NPB** | **Who needs NPBs** | **Why use NPBs** | | --- | --- | --- | | Network packet brokers (NPBs) are typically placed between traffic access points (e.g., TAPs, mirrored ports) and analysis tools. They act as a central point to direct network traffic to and from certain parts of the network while performing traffic processing operations to ensure the appropriate traffic is sent to the appropriate devices and tools. | ◉ Organizations that require a dedicated monitoring setup. ◉ Organizations that run multiple security and analysis toolsets. ◉ Organizations who want to control which traffic is sent to analysis tools accurately. ◉ Growing organizations that need to move away from 1:1 connections between access points and analysis tools. ◉ Organizations who want to stay compliant with privacy laws. ◉ Organizations who need to ensure high-quality data is sent to security and analysis tools for faster problem resolution. | ◉ To optimize the utilization of traffic access points and analysis tools. ◉ To organize and optimize traffic sent to monitoring and security tools. ◉ To decrease bandwidth and processing power usage by removing unnecessary data. ◉ To improve flexibility and scalability: easily forward data to new tools without impacting other operations. ◉ To have centralized management of traffic flow. ◉ Simplification of monitoring network architecture and on-site operations: once deployed, the traffic flow configuration can be changed remotely via an NPB's GUI/CLI without requiring physical access to the data center. ◉ Conversion of various media types and speeds across both access points and monitoring and security tools. ◉ Advanced integration with both physical and virtual TAPs. |   ## **Benefits of Profitap NPBs** | **XX-Series:** | **X2-Series:** | **X3-Series:** | | --- | --- | --- | | ◉ Aggregation ◉ Replication ◉ Load Balancing ◉ Filtering. ◉ Easy to use GUI for easy overview of device status, port and rules setup. | | | | ◉ High-density, high throughput. ◉ Up to 255 port-to-port filters. ◉ Non-conflicting rules creation. All rules are active in parallel with each other. This ensures no conflict between new and existing rules and saves time when setting up new rules. | ◉ Packet Slicing, GTP IP Filtering, Timestamping, Packet Deduplication, ERSPAN Tunneling & De-tunneling. ◉ High-density, high throughput. ◉ Features are processed at wire speed in the data plane: data does not have to be forwarded to a co-processor, resulting in no added latency or bandwidth bottlenecks. ◉ Non-conflicting rules creation. All rules are active in parallel with each other. This ensures that no conflict between new and existing rules can happen and saves time when setting up new rules.  ◉ Only 1 rule consumed per TCP/UDP/SCTP port or VLAN ID range filters. ◉ Up to 6000 port-to-port filters. | ◉ Microburst protection ◉ Data masking ◉ Packet deduplication  ◉ TCP packet reordering and      fragments re-assembling  ◉ Full tunneling capability  ◉ Packet Slicing  ◉ IMSI Filtering  ◉ Timestamping  ◉ Export NetFlow V5/V9  ◉ L2-L7 Filtering, DPI  |   ## Where to place Network Packet Brokers Network Packet Brokers are typically placed between the traffic access points (e.g., TAPs, mirrored ports) and the monitoring and analysis tools and set up to forward the appropriate traffic from the production network to the appropriate tools. *Placed between TAPs and tools, Network Packet Brokers act as a data flow management and optimization layer.*   # Network Packet Brokers from Profitap ## Network Traffic Aggregators Traffic Aggregators are entry-level packet brokers that specialize in performing traffic management operations such as aggregation, replication, load balancing, and filtering. They can be used standalone, or combined with advanced NPBs for pre-aggregation of network traffic. | **Product reference** | **Interfaces** | **1G** | **10G** | **25G** | **40G** | **100G** | **400G** | **Aggregation** **Replication** **Load Balancing** **Filtering** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | XX-720G | 48 x 10G SFP+ 6 x 40G QSFP+ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | - | - | ✔ | | XX-1800G | 48 x 25G SFP28 6 x 100G QSFP28 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | | XX-3200G | 32 x 40/100G QSFP28 | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | ## XX-720G ## XX-1800G ## XX-3200G   ## Network Packet Brokers Network Packet Brokers offer a more extensive set of features compared to traffic aggregators, all of which are performed at wirespeed in the data plane. These high-versatility, high-performance systems help finely tailor network traffic from a multitude of sources and types for delivery to network analysis, monitoring, and security tools. | **Product reference** | **Interfaces** | **1G** | **10G** | **25G** | **40G** | **100G** | **400G** | **Aggregation** **Replication** **Load Balancing** **Filtering** | **Packet Slicing** **GTP IP Filtering** **Timestamping** **Packet Deduplication** **Tunneling & De-tunneling** | **Netflow export** **Microburst protection** **Data masking** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | X2-2010G | 48 x 10/25G SFP28 8 x 40/100G QSFP28 | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | ✔ | - | | X2-3200G | 32 x 40/100G QSFP28 | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | ✔ | - | | X2-6400G | 64 x 40/100G QSFP28 | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | ✔ | - | | X2-12800G | 32 x 400G QSFP-DD | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | | X3-440G | 24 x 1/10G SFP+ 2 x 40/100G QSFP28 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | | X3-880G | 48 x 1/10G SFP+ 4 x 40/100G QSFP28 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | [View full post](https://insights.profitap.com/introduction-to-network-packet-brokers) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Profitap" }, "dateModified" : "2025-05-20T10:26:08.196Z", "datePublished" : "2024-07-23T13:39:03Z", "headline" : "Introduction to Network Packet Brokers", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 4500, "url" : "https://2954816.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/2954816/NPB_v2.jpg", "width" : 4500 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://insights.profitap.com/introduction-to-network-packet-brokers", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Profitap Blog" } } ```