Apparatus for monitoring a network

1. An apparatus to actively monitor a network having a plurality of twisted-pair communication links, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of alternating-current (AC) coupled circuits corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links, and each comprising a same impedance as an impedance-controlled connection with the corresponding twisted-pair communications link, to non-intrusively recover a data signal transmitted from the corresponding twisted-pair communication link;

a plurality of amplifiers corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links, each amplifier having an input impedance and common-mode voltage tolerance to non-intrusively copy a data signal transmitted from the corresponding twisted-pair communication link and amplify the copied data signal;

a plurality of isolation transformers corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of amplifiers, each isolation transformer receiving the amplified, copied data signal from the corresponding amplifier, and outputting a transformed data signal;

a connector receiving the transformed data signals from the plurality of isolation transformers in a pin order corresponding to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links; and

a protocol analyzer receiving the transformed data signals via the connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of twisted pair communications links comprise at least two interface standards including ATM 25.6 Mbit/sec, FDDI TP-PMD 125 Mbit/sec, DDS-4 Wire 772 Kbit/sec, ISDN Basic Rate 128 Kbit/sec, E1 2.048 Mbit/sec, T1 1.544 Mbit/sec, and 10/100 Base T Ethernet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the protocol analyzer inverts a polarity of the interface standards included in the different twisted-pair communication links depending upon a data encoding method associated with the interface to be monitored.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the protocol analyzer samples the transformed data signals and verifies a cyclic redundancy check and conducts frame delineations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector is an 8-pin RJ-45 connector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is connected at a source of the transmitted data signals or a destination to which the transmitted data signals are to be received or at a position in between the source or the destination of the transmitted data signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus has a configuration that, when power is lost to the apparatus, the transmitted data signals are not interrupted.

8. An apparatus to actively monitor a network having a plurality of twisted-pair communication links, the apparatus comprising:

first and second connectors hard wired at a predetermined distance apart, to carry data signals transmitted from the plurality of twisted-pair communication links, wherein, the first and second connectors maintain an impedance-controlled connection with each of the twisted-pair communication links;

a plurality of alternating-current (AC) coupled circuits corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links, and each comprising a same impedance as the impedance-controlled connection with the corresponding twisted-pair communications link, to non-intrusively recover a data signal transmitted from the corresponding twisted-pair communication link;

a plurality of amplifiers corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of AC coupled circuits, each amplifier having an input impedance to allow each amplifier to appear electrically invisible to the corresponding twisted-pair communication link and a tolerance to common-mode voltages to allow each amplifier to copy and amplify the data signal recovered from the corresponding AC coupled circuit;

a plurality of isolation transformers corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of amplifiers, each isolation transformer receiving the amplified, copied data signal from the corresponding amplifier, and outputting a transformed data signal;

a third connector to receive the transformed data signals from the plurality of isolation transformers in a pin order corresponding to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links; and

a protocol analyzer to receive the transformed data signals via the third connector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of twisted pair communications links comprise at least two interface standards including ATM 25.6 Mbit/sec, FDDI TP-PMD 125 Mbit/sec, DDS-4 Wire 772 Kbit/sec, ISDN Basic Rate 128 Kbit/sec, E1 2.048 Mbit/sec, T1 1.544 Mbit/sec, and 10/100 Base T Ethernet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first, second and third connectors are 8-pin RJ-45 connectors.

11. An apparatus to actively monitor a network having a plurality of twisted-pair communication links, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of alternating-current (AC) coupled circuits corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links, and each comprising a same impedance as an impedance-controlled connection with the corresponding twisted-pair communications link, to non-intrusively recover a data signal transmitted from the corresponding twisted-pair communication link;

a plurality of amplifiers corresponding, respectively to the plurality of twisted-pair communication links, each amplifier having an input impedance and common-mode voltage tolerance to non-intrusively copy and amplify a data signal transmitted from the corresponding twisted-pair communication link; and

a monitoring device to receive the amplified, copied data signals.