In theory this is possible but there are a number of shortcomings to using such an approach. Network switches are designed to perform a variety of functions on the network. SPAN and mirror port activities take the lowest priority – sending copies of busy link traffic out a SPAN port can easily oversubscribe the port, resulting in lost packets. Additionally, network switches are managed devices requiring maintenance and an IP presence on the network. The SINGLEstream Aggregation Tap is transparent to the network and fault-tolerant, therefore it is more reliable and more secure.