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"Port mirroring" may be the name that is often given to a feature implemented by a "smart switch" (also known as a "managed switch"). (The phrase "dumb switch" is also sometimes called an "unmanaged switch".) They typically improve network efficiency by only sending network traffic out the ports they need. (An example could be to simply save a copy of packets that weren't necessarily being sent to you.)Ī hub receives network traffic and essentially re-broadcasts a copy of whatever it received on all ports.Īs technology improved, "dumb switches" became more common. Network sniffing refers to the concept of paying attention to the packet's contents. Port mirroring refers to the concept of duplication traffic.
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Port mirroring allows you to do network sniffing.
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