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Encyclopedia > Network bridge

A network bridge connects multiple network segments at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Bridges are similar to repeaters or network hubs, devices that connect network segments at the physical layer, however a bridge works by using bridging where traffic from one network is managed rather than simply rebroadcast to adjacent network segments. In Ethernet networks, the term "bridge" formally means a device that behaves according to the IEEE 802.1D standard - this is most often referred to as a network switch in marketing literature. A network segment is a portion of a computer network wherein every device communicates using the same physical layer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model (OSI Reference Model or OSI Model for short) is a layered, abstract description for communications and computer network protocol design, developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) initiative. ... A repeater is an electronic device that receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation. ... 4 port ethernet hub An Ethernet hub or concentrator is a device for connecting multiple twisted pair or fiber optic Ethernet devices together, making them act as a single segment. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bridging is a forwarding technique used in packet-switched computer networks. ... Links ANSI/IEEE Std 802. ... A network switch is a computer networking device that connects network segments. ...


Since bridging takes place at the data link layer of the OSI model, a bridge processes the information from each frame of data it receives. In an Ethernet frame, this provides the MAC address of the frame's source and destination. Bridges use two methods to resolve the network segment that a MAC address belongs to. The Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model (OSI Reference Model or OSI Model for short) is a layered, abstract description for communications and computer network protocol design, developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) initiative. ... Ethernet is a large, diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies that operate at many speeds for local area networks (LANs). ... In computer networking a Media Access Control address (MAC address) or hardware address or adapter address is a quasi-unique identifier attached to most network adapters (NICs). ...

  • Transparent bridging – This method uses a forwarding database to send frames across network segments. The forwarding database is initially empty and entries in the database are built as the bridge receives frames. If an address entry is not found in the forwarding database, the frame is rebroadcast to all ports of the bridge, forwarding the frame to all segments except the source address. By means of these broadcast frames, the destination network will respond and a route will be created. Along with recording the network segment to which a particular frame is to be sent, bridges may also record a bandwidth metric to avoid looping when multiple paths are available. Devices that have this transparent bridging functionality are also known as adaptive bridges.
  • Source route bridging – With source route bridging two frame types are used in order to find the route to the destination network segment. Single-Route (SR) frames comprise most of the network traffic and have set destinations, while All-Route(AR) frames are used to find routes. Bridges send AR frames by broadcasting on all network branches; each step of the followed route is registered by the bridge performing it. Each frame has a maximum hop count, which is determined to be greater than the diameter of the network graph, and is decremented by each bridge. Frames are dropped when this hop count reaches zero, to avoid indefinite looping of AR frames. The first AR frame which reaches its destination is considered to have followed the best route, and the route can be used for subsequent SR frames; the other AR frames are discarded. This method of locating a destination network can allow for indirect load balancing among multiple bridges connecting two networks. The more a bridge is loaded, the less likely it is to take part in the route finding process for a new destination as it will be slow to forward packets. A new AR packet will find a different route over a less busy path if one exists. This method is very different from transparent bridge usage, where redundant bridges will be inactivated; however, more overhead is introduced to find routes, and space is wasted to store them in frames. A switch with a faster backplane can be just as good for performance, if not for fault tolerance.

Contents

In the mathematical subfield of graph theory, the distance between two vertices in a graph is the number of edges in a shortest path connecting them. ... Load balancing refers to the general practice of balancing a load. ...

Advantages of network bridges

  • Self configuring
  • Primitive bridges are often inexpensive
  • Reduce size of collision domain
  • Transparent to protocols above the MAC layer
  • Allows the introduction of management - performance information and access control
  • LANs interconnected are separate and physical constraints such as number of stations, repeaters and segment length don't apply

Disadvantages of network bridges

  • Does not limit the scope of broadcasts
  • Does not scale to extremely large networks
  • Buffering introduces store and forward delays - on average traffic destined for bridge will be related to the number of stations on the rest of the LAN
  • Bridging of different MAC protocols introduces errors
  • Because bridges do more than repeaters by viewing MAC addresses, the extra processing makes them slower than repeaters
  • Bridges are more expensive than repeaters

Lan can stand for several things: A local area network Lan (airline) formerly LanChile Lan Peru Län, a kind of administrative division used in Sweden Lan Mandragoran, a fictional character in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. ...

Bridging versus routing

Bridging and Routing are both ways of performing data control, but work through different methods. Bridging takes place at OSI Model Layer 2 (Data-Link Layer) while Routing takes place at the OSI Model Layer 3 (Network Layer). This difference means that a bridge directs frames according to hardware assigned MAC addresses while a router makes its decisions according to arbitrarily assigned IP Addresses. As a result of this, bridges are not concerned with and are unable to distinguish networks while routers can. Bridging is a forwarding technique used in packet-switched computer networks. ... This article is about routing (or routeing) in computer networks. ... The Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model (OSI Reference Model or OSI Model for short) is a layered, abstract description for communications and computer network protocol design, developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) initiative. ... The Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model (OSI Reference Model or OSI Model for short) is a layered, abstract description for communications and computer network protocol design, developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) initiative. ... In computer networking a Media Access Control address (MAC address) or hardware address or adapter address is a quasi-unique identifier attached to most network adapters (NICs). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article describes the computer networking device. ...


When designing a network, you can choose to put multiple segments into one bridged network or to divide it into different networks interconnected by routers. If a host is physically moved from one network area to another in a routed network, it has to get a new IP address; if this system is moved within a bridged network, it doesn't have to reconfigure anything.


Specific uses of the term "bridge"

A description of the Network Bridge in Windows XP is given here - it allows a Windows XP system to function as a bridge between the various networking devices connecting to it.


Documentation on Linux bridging can be found in the Linux networking wiki in here. Linux bridging allows filtering and routing. This article is about operating systems that use the Linux kernel. ...


See also

A wireless bridge is used for connecting two or more network segments separated physically, operating on the 802. ... This article is about a computer networking device. ... A partial list of the most common commands for Microsofts MS-DOS operating system follows. ... A null modem adapter Null modem is a communication method to connect two DTEs (computer, terminal, printer etc. ... The spanning tree network protocol provides a loop free topology for any bridged LAN. The Spanning Tree Protocol, which is also referred to as STP, is defined in the IEEE Standard 802. ... An Instrument bridge is an extension of the network bridge concept from the IEEE networking technology glossary. ...

External links

  • Bridging

  Results from FactBites:
 
Bridging (networking) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (919 words)
The bridging functions are confined to network bridges which interconnect the network segments.
Source route bridging is used primarily on Token-Ring networks, and is standardized in Section 9 of the IEEE 802.2 standard.
The spanning tree protocol is not used, the operation of the network bridges is simpler, and much of the bridging functions are performed by the end systems, particularly the sources, giving rise to its name.
Social network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1820 words)
Research in a number of academic fields have demonstrated that social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals succeed in achieving their goals.
Eigenvector centrality is a measure of the importance of a node in a network.
Network or global-level density is the proportion of ties in a network relative to the total number possible (sparse versus dense networks).
  More results at FactBites »


 

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