Smart switches allowing outbound from mirror dest port?

[eosis]

I'm searching for a managed switch that allows me to not only mirror a port/ports, but also to still use the destination port of those mirrors as a link to the internet/the rest of the network (ie. I want to be able to send information on the network, ping other machines, etc). Aside from this, I still need the VLAN functionality of good switches, and ideally PoE provided on at least one of the ports, too.

I have seen the majority of these features on the NETGEAR GS108PE, but still cannot determine if I can use the destination port of the mirrored ports as a normal network port. Has anyone got any experience of this switch and could perhaps point me in the right direction?

Here''s an example scenario:

Port 1 - Computer
Port 2 - Rest of the network / internet
Port 3 - IP phone
A mirror would be set up from Port 3 with the destination port set as Port 1. I would like to then be able to access the internet from the computer on Port 1.

I've heard reports that this is possible with the GS108E ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...zyByh1U#t=156s ), but would like some more confirmation with regards to the GS108PE before I part with money.

 

[stevech]

My low cost Netgear GS108E allows mirroring for any of its 8 ports. I'd think that one port could be that which is the uplink to the router. Not advised though. All I've done with port mirroring on this GS is to mirror port A to port B, where B has my test PC and port A is a connection to another switch into which lots of things are plugged.

My GS108E came from eBay - not new, but arrived in like-new packaging. It was like $50 or so.

 

[eosis]

Thanks for the reply stevech,

So you can't choose the destination port to mirror to?

I don't suppose you'd be able to try pinging other devices on the switch from the destination port of the mirror(s) to see if it's possible? Netgear support are pretty much useless and it seems not many other people are interested in this functionality!

eosis

 

[dnoyeb]

When I do port mirroring to my computer that is running wireshark, I still access devices web interfaces from that same computer. I use a Dlink DGS-1100-16. Not sure why any switch would prevent this.

However, once you mix in VLANs thats a different thing. I'm not sure port mirroring will mirror VLAN data onto a port that is not part of the VLAN. I havent felt like doing an investigation so I always make sure my mirror port is in an appropriate VLAN to see the data I am after.

 

[eosis]

Thanks for your replay, dnoyeb.

Yes, I thought the same thing, but when I tested this functionality with the NETGEAR GS110-TP, it didn't work.

I can confirm, however, that the NETGEAR GS108E (NOT a typo, the GS108E without POE, etc; I still do not know about the GS108PE) did do exactly what I needed; ie. I can mirror across a VLAN and still transmit frames out of the port.