Talk:Network bridge/Archive 1

Description of bridging
Bridges are ways to interconnect computers working on diffrent technologies(Ethernet/Token Ring etc.) on the same network without making the computers to bother about the underlying technilogies. Also a much more larger number of systems can be inter-connected in the same LAN and the distance (geographical distribution) can also be enhanced. The use of switches anlso increases the Bandwidth of the LAN. A LAN formed using switches is called as "Catenet". All the systems lying of the catenet behave as if they are present on the same LAN. Although the propogation delay can be a matter of consideration in the network but the type of expendability gives an added advantage to the network. Computers connected on the same catenet can be present in the same office/ on the same floor/ spread across a huge campus or even be existion in geographically seperate locations. --198.62.10.4 11:11, 10 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Sorry to bear the news, but you are incorrect in most of your statement. Bridges are a way to interconnect networks working possibly on different technologies and not involving the computers a bit. Note a bridge INTERCONNECTS DIFFERENT LAN'S, the networks can be on different subnet even, which technically proves they are not the same LAN. Switch vs. Hubs - Hub = Layer 1 Device, meaning that a hub recieves a datagram, and fowards it to every port on the hub, no matter what. A switch is a layer 2 Device, meaning it switches frames across a segmented backbone. Switches are faster because they use frames and MAC addresses (not IP addresses, like you imply by saying packet switching - packets are Layer 3 Encapsulated, meaning they have an IP address. Switches are Layer 2, and use frames which have MAC addresses) to open a virtual connection between 2 ports to switch frames, freeing other ports from the burden of a hub, or repeater. Switches connected together form a LAN, or MAN; but no Catenet, and connecting a switch over a large geographical distance to form a WAN, or Wide Area Network, would still require 2 routers, since a WAN is huge and chances are you want to get on the internet with these networks of yours, that would require 2 routers. Once you have a router, negotiation with the cloud (internet) can begin - if you don't have routers, and only a router, heh, that overhead on your network is gonna be HUGE to get multiple computers on one network connected through a computer to a bridge to send all that traffic to another bridge, and then go through the router the second bridge is connected to and access the routers functions of IP routing. Also, once you did this, sure, you would have a LAN, I guess - except it's technically a WAN, or Wide Area Network, not Local Area Network. If you used VLAN's, however, it would be a VIRTUAL LAN. Also, if you aren't using security features, there is potential for eavesdropping or a man in the middle attack to take place, since your VLAN is spreading it's guts across the internet and back again. Thanks!$$100 / 6 = 16.677, 16.777/2 = 8.333 Mbps BEFORE ping losses.$$ --ZachCrichfield 01:47, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

"If one computer on network A sent a broadcast packet to address FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF, the bridge would stop this from getting to network B." I find this phrase rather hard to understand. Wouldn't it be more correct to say "network segments" A and B rather than just "networks"? The latter makes me imply they're on a different subnet, which as I've understood, is beyond the realm of bridging and into that of routing. --Mamour 05:48, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Diagram
Can someone here make a fancy diagram for the article? -- Frap (talk) 10:48, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Cheating Typically Via Software Firewall (Slang)
People use this method of CHEATING for halo 2 on xbox live. They bridge a friends connection they are playing with stronger, giving them automatic host. This makes their weapons more powerful and more accerate. They run faster, throw grenades further, and jump higher. It also gives them the option of "stand-bying." People who bridge on xbox live can also take an opponants connection and make it very poor. This disconnects the player from the match and it registers as that player quiting out of the game. --65.175.136.111 17:08, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Given the nature of how this is performed and it's growing relevance it should get a subsection in the bridging article and probably is a small argument against merging this into Network_bridge--Insancipitory (talk) 23:28, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Layer-2 switch
I removed Bridging vs. layer-2 switch which on review turned out to be a copyright violation. Because I personally don't believe there is a useful distinction between a bridge and a layer-2 switch I've not tried to rework this section. On page 476 of _Data and computer communications_, William Stalling makes a claim that there is a distinction. I think his arguments are a bit dated. --Kvng (talk) 20:54, 23 December 2009 (UTC)

Specific uses of the term "bridge"
Documentation on Linux bridging can be found in the Linux networking wiki. Linux bridging allows filtering and routing. Certain versions of Windows (including XP and Vista) allow for creating a Network Bridge&mdash;a network component that aggregates two or more Network Connections and establishes a bridging environment between them. Windows does not support creating more than one network bridge per system.

I removed this section because it did not seem to really be talking about bridging and looked out of place. The first paragraph is about routing (and maybe a little bridging). The second is about link aggregation. --Kvng (talk) 20:54, 23 December 2009 (UTC)

Merge completed
As long threatened, I have merged Transparent bridge and Network bridge into this article. I also took the liberty of separating the archaic Source route bridging material into its own article. --Kvng (talk) 20:54, 23 December 2009 (UTC)

Source Address
Consider adding either 'MAC' or 'physical' where the article refers to the 'source address'. 96.228.44.166 (talk) 20:33, 12 March 2012 (UTC)

Intro section wording
Would it be more clear to say "Network bridging describes the action taken by network equipment to create an aggregate network from either two or more network segments, or two or more communication networks"?TeeTylerToe (talk) 22:42, 10 May 2014 (UTC)


 * Hello there! Agreed; went ahead and, please check it out. &mdash; Dsimic (talk | contribs) 05:11, 13 May 2014 (UTC)

Merged in Bridge mode
Previous version:  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ozhu (talk • contribs) 19:08, 8 January 2015 (UTC)

wireless bridging
Please add details about wireless bridging to this article. For example, how is the wireless link initiated and authenticated; how does the link get auto reconnected when necessary?-71.174.188.32 (talk) 21:34, 18 January 2016 (UTC)


 * There are numerous possibilities for authentication (preshared key, certificates, tightly focused beam/visual identification, tunnelling, ...) and countless protocols that can't really all be detailed here and would probably warrant an article of their own. --Zac67 (talk) 21:54, 18 January 2016 (UTC)

We need a real "wireless bridge" article! It currently redirects to this stubby article of vaguely related generics... But this article only talks about the "bridge" part, and some of us really need to know about the "wireless" aspect! Until we can have some abundant details, please add any limited details... Which article should explain whether or not "wifi client router" is the same or different than "Wifi as WAN (WAW)"? Current wifi networking terminology is bewildering...-71.174.188.32 (talk) 22:22, 19 January 2016 (UTC)


 * I have posted a request for help at the networking taskforce. ~Kvng (talk) 16:47, 23 January 2016 (UTC)


 * That's fine, but unfortunately there are very few people who contribute significant amounts of new computing-related content on Wikipedia. &mdash; Dsimic (talk &#124; contribs) 18:13, 23 January 2016 (UTC)