Bridging is used to connect LANs at the data link level (OSI Layer 2). The Passport 4400 supports transparent bridging, a process of relaying media access control (MAC) frames between LANs in a manner that is invisible to the originating host. Transparent bridges permit the connection of separate Ethernet and other supported networks.
The Passport 4400 bridges LAN traffic by default. This means that even if IP or IPX routing is enabled, the Passport 4400 continues to bridge other LAN traffic. If you want to be able to bridge other protocols while routing IP/IPX on a Passport 4400, do not turn off bridging.
Bridging on the Passport 4400 supports the IEEE Spanning Tree Protocol to prevent loops in bridged networks. The spanning tree protocol contains complex features that ensure traffic flow is maintained if bridged network topology changes. This spanning tree protocol is an IEEE 802.1d standard and is fully supported by a wide variety of third-party bridges.
To bridge across multiple switched virtual circuits (SVCs), the virtual port on each intermediate unit must be set to easyrouting.
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Note: If your network includes Passport 4400-to-6400 connections, IP and IPX bridging are supported. |
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