What Is A Network Bridge, And Should You Use One?
How-To Geek, Tuesday, June 13,2023
If you've been researching ways to upgrade your local area network (LAN), you've likely come across talk of network bridges. So what do network bridges do, and are they worth using?
Network bridges are devices that allow multiple LANs to communicate with one another, expanding their reach beyond that of a single network. They inspect incoming traffic from network devices like computers, phones, printers, and routers, then decide whether to forward that traffic or discard it.
There are seven layers to every network, from the hardware devices used to transmit information to applications. The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) diagram maps these layers out visually. Network bridges are on the second, or data-link, layer of the OSI model.