terminal access point (Ethernet) (TAP)

With the classic Ethernet with Yellow Cable - a relic from the 1970s - it was possible to connect additional terminal devices without interrupting LAN operation. For this purpose, there was the Terminal Access Point (TAP).

With a Terminal Access Point (TAP), the insulation of the yellow cable was drilled down to the inner conductor, then a probe was pressed against the inner conductor of the coaxial cable and at the same time contact was made with the outer conductor( shielding) by means of a clamp. Probe and clamp were connected to the transceiver.

This technique is no longer used today because the Yellow Cable was one of the relics from the early years of Ethernet and has therefore not been used since the 1990s.