A multi-purpose switch / tap with an open-source firmware
Meet the Skunk, an adorable little 4-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and tap. Use it whenever you need a standard switch, or use it to sniff packets at gigabit speeds. Or write a custom firmware to do something else entirely.
Just plug in the included power adapter, and the Skunk functions as a standard gigabit switch.
Alternatively, it can even be powered from a USB source thanks to the included USB power cable.
Connect the included USB data cable to configure VLANs, port sniffing and turn the Skunk into a managed gigabit switch / tap. No fumbling with complex web interfaces and IP address configuration madness. The Skunk is transparent and only a few simple commands on the USB are enough to configure sniffing or VLANs.
Detailed instructions for use can be found in the Skunk User Guide.
The Skunk is shipped with a basic 3D-printed press-fit enclosure. This means you can easily remove the case and print your own, or even integrate the Skunk board directly into something else.
STL files for the included case are provided in the user guide.
What's included?
- Skunk (main board)
- Plastic case
- 5V 1A power supply
- USB power cable
- 1.0M USB cable
- 4x Cat6 cable (1m)
- Some stickers :)
VLAN support
The Skunk features full VLAN support - configure access ports for specific VLANs and trunks ports to carry tagged frames for multiple VLANs. You can even configure tagged access ports or untagged trunks if you ever need something like that.
Got a complex internal pentest? Plug the Skunk directly into a trunk port on your customer's switch, then pull out whichever VLANs you need on your Skunk's access ports.
Use on-demand trunking when you don't need trunks to carry more than the VLANs assigned to your access ports. When you really need your trunks to carry all VLANs regardless of which are assigned to your access ports, enable full trunking for maximum power.
Note: full trunking requires writing to the entire VLAN table, which is why you may notice a slight delay (~4 seconds) when applying the configuration. Since full trunking is not required for most use cases, it is disabled by default.
The next level in network sniffing
Thanks to its powerful switching core, sniffing on the Skunk is transparent and does not interfere with the normal switch operation, meaning the same port can be used for sniffing and network access. Sniff the network and ride it at the same time from a single port!
Any combination of RX / TX traffic from all ports can be simultaneously mirrored to the sniff ports, which can also be any combination of the 4 available ports. The only limitation is that a port cannot be configured as an output while also having TX/RX sniff enabled on it (this would be rather meaningless).
Make it your own
The firmware included by default serves as an open-source reference for anyone looking to write their own, or even just a foundation that can be easily modified / extended. The official repository is available here: Skunk firmware repository.
Only the sniffing features and VLAN support are implemented in the reference firmware, serving as an example - other management features such as 802.1X are left open to custom implementation.
The firmware is built using the open-source Dooba SDK - if you are not familiar with it, the Discover Dooba tutorial is a good place to get started.
The switch engine inside the Skunk is the powerful KSZ9896 from Microchip. Be sure to check out the datasheet if you want to play with its advanced features.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
NO HELP OR SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED OTHER THAN THE SKUNK USER GUIDE.
IF YOU ARE PURCHASING THIS, IT IS ASSUMED YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
THAT BEING SAID, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO OBEY THE LAW AND ARE PROHIBITED FROM USING RINGTAIL PRODUCTS FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN LEGITIMATE PURPOSES.
RINGTAIL WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED AS A RESULT OF USING OUR PRODUCTS.