Mirroring Switch Port 1000SX -> 100TX

[dfusion]

Since I use Sniffer on my laptop I would like to think there is a PCMCIA card that support Gigabit, but I do not think one exists. Currently, when I monitor gigabit ports, I use a Fluke Optiview equipped with 1000SX and use port monitoring/mirroring. I then bring the capture file from the Optiview to my local machine or laptop for anlysis. I would rather walk into the data center with my Laptop and capture directly to it, but I would have to set the mirror port as a 100TX since my laptop has no gigabit. Any ideas?

Regards,
Mark
Sr. Network Engineer
ArcLight Systems, LLC

http://www.markholloway.com

 

[rwullems]

Yes, by a very expensive Gigabit extention for your Sniffer.

Using a 100Mb SPAN port is a bad solution. Especially if your gig link has a utilization over 10%, then the switch has to start buffering and you can loose frames without even seeing them on your sniffer (e.g. dashboard). The only way then to see if your loosing frames is checking the switch statistics for your SPAN port.

Anyway spanning gig to 100 always gives a different image because the gig link is most probably Full Duplex and the SPAN will reduce everything back to HD. ALso the Sniffer cannot measure correctly FD without a full duplex pod.

So, sorry, no really usefull ideas to help you out with
Robert

Robert A.H. Wullems
Sniffer University Instructor
SCM / CNX / MCP
Citee Education
the Netherlands

 

[matttheknife]

Hi,
I haven't seen a laptop, that supports gigabit speed for a full line capture rate. Also the Cardbus has got these limitations.
What you need is additional hardware, that does the capturing, that buffers the data stream and where you can already set hardware based filters.

For a portable solution for your Sniffer you'll need Snifferbook Ultra and maybe a splitter to create a permanent access point for your Sniffer. You connect this Snifferbook Ultra to your 10/100 NIC in your laptop.
For a permanent solution you 'll have both options.
A certified PCI Gigabit NIC or again the Snifferbook Ultra.

I also agree, that it doesn't make sense to mirror a Gigabit Switch port to a HDX mirror port.

Regards
Matthias
Tech. Instructor