Bridges & Routers

Connectivity is productivity, whether it is a modern office or a village. This is why even the developing countries are focusing on introducing internet services in every nook and corner they have. A modern internet connection network is complicated. Here each part of the process is incomplete without the other. Several small devices work interchangeably to connect two ends of the connection system. This is where the networking bridges & routers come into the story.

A bridge is a networking device that works in a data link layer. It helps store and send data information in the shape of packets, whereas a Router is another networking device that works in network layers. A router transfers or stores data information in the form of packets.  Despite both sounding the same to many, there is a slight difference in working between the two. When the bridge reads the MAC address of the device, a router reads the IP address. Nevertheless, both bridges and routers hold an important place in today’s networking systems. Thus, we need to understand the core of the two and generate a clear understanding of the differences.

A beginner’s guide to understanding bridges and routers

A bridge connects two LANs with one domain using a Media Access Control address to determine the destinations. Here the traffic is non-routable, and data cannot move outside the joint networks or domain. While on the other hand, a router also connects two LANs and moves traffic to an IP address. These devices have the intelligence to determine the next point on the network (if the address is not in the managed pool). Another difference between the two is that a bridge sees the two numbers as a single entity while a router sees two networks as different entities. Below is a detailed guide with all the essential information to help you understand the two devices, their functionalities and their properties.

What are a bridge and its functionalities?

A bridge can connect segments or workgroup LANs. It can also segregate single network traffic to an isolated traffic format.  For example, if traffic volume from one or two devices is flooding the entire network with data packets, it will slow down the entire operations. In such cases, a bridge helps to isolate the computers or departments, producing more traffic. With such abilities, the bridges are used for expanding the distance of a segment in a network. It is also used for offering data packets to an increased number of devices on a single network. Another common reason to use a bridge is that it reduced traffic bottlenecks.

Features of networking LAN bridges

Bridges works are the Data Link Layer of the Open System Interconnection Model. As they work in the layer, the information at the higher level of the OSI is not available. Due to the same reason, they are not able to differentiate between protocols. This is why they are known as repeaters, as they process data from one network to another. While buying, you must know that a simple bridge comes with two ports (in and out). Thus, it will connect only two networks. However, a multiport bridge will offer a connection between multiple networks. Moreover, the bridges use filtering tables for forwarding or dropping the data packets.

What are a router and its functionalities?

The corporate setting of this date always has dozens of computers and more than one network for connection. In such settings, bridges are not enough; there is a need for something faster, smarter and safer. Hence comes the networking routers. Commonly you may know them as TP-Link Wi-Fi Router. A router is a device that knows the address of each segment in a network. Moreover, it also knows the address of each segment and can determine the path for filtering or sending broadcast traffic to a local segment. These functionalities make routers the best option for complex network situations as they offer better management and check of traffic compared to a bridge.

Features of a hub switch router

The routers work at the network layer of the OSI model. It means that they can switch and route data packets across different networks. Unlike a bridge, if a router receives a data packet that is not for a connected client, it will further pack. Routers work based on routing tables. It helps them know the next destination of the data if it is outside the address’s pool of addresses. A standard router has both LAN and WAN interfaces. WAN works for all traffic packets outside the router pool. In contrast, a LAN connection is for local clients.  A router can be located at any gateway, including every single point of presence on the internet.