Date   : Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:17:06 +0100
From   : pete@... (Pete Turnbull)
Subject: Is it a bridge? Was: Master Ethernet upgrade

On 14/07/2009 17:11, Darren Grant wrote:

> For example if you have two offices with Ethernet networking and a private
> link between them that runs on ATM or some other network transport then a
> Bridge will encapsulate Ethernet packets using PPP or some other
> encapsulation protocol and will have know knowledge of the protocols running
> on top, it cold be TCP-IP or IPX it would make no difference to the bridge
> as it works entirely on MAC addresses.

No, that would actually be a gateway or router.  It *does* need to know 
about the protocols to do PPP over ATM (or whatever), and it doesn't 
just use MAC addresses.  The devices that talk to it don't need to know 
about the protocols, and may only need to know about MAC addresses 
(depending on how it's done), of course.  Actually, of course, what you 
describe is a pair of devices; definitely not a bridge.

-- 
Pete                                           Peter Turnbull
                                               Network Manager
                                               University of York