In the evolving world of IT hardware and computer networking, network bridges play a critical role in maintaining seamless data communication. A network bridge acts as a data link layer device that connects two or more separate networks to work as a single network. This integration boosts performance, minimizes traffic congestion, and ensures better data flow across network segments.
How Network Bridges Work
A Network Bridges operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model — the data link layer. It receives data packets from one network segment and forwards them to another only if necessary. This decision is based on the MAC addresses of the devices involved. By learning and maintaining a MAC address table, the bridge identifies the source and destination of data packets. If a packet’s destination is on the same segment, it is not forwarded, thereby reducing unnecessary traffic and improving network efficiency.