Typical Enterprise Network Topology

This document outlines recommended deployment strategies for Network Passive Sensors across small, medium, and large enterprise network topologies to optimize asset visibility.

For Small-Sized Enterprises

Sensors are best placed at the distribution layer near client access points. This placement ensures visibility into MAC addresses within the broadcast domain, enabling more complete discovery than core-level deployments.

Refer to the For Small Sized Enterprise section for more details.

For Medium and Large-Sized Enterprises

Sensors are deployed at each physical location near the access network and registered to a single Qualys account. If local deployment is not feasible, traffic from remote sites can be mirrored to a central sensor. Sensor placement varies across distribution and core layers depending on site architecture and traffic volume.

Refer to the For Medium and Large Sized Enterprise section for more details.