Is a bridge layer 1 or layer 2 device?

johnifanx98

Will it decrease the size of collision domain, or, does not matter?

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Roguetadhg

Doesn't really matter, since you'll need to focus on Switches and Routers...

A Switch is a multi-port bridge.

networker050184

When you hear bridge just think switch.

Apollo80

Question: Is there a real-world use for bridges in today's networks, or has switches completely replaced their use?

networker050184

A bridge is a switch. A switch is a bridge. The modern term is switch but a lot of the learning material and standards refer to them as bridges. Outside of your studies and STP you won't ever have to worry about a bridge.

Michael2

I beleve that network bridges are still used to connect networks that use diffierent protocols, such as Ethernet and Token Ring.

Michael2

A switch is not necessarily a bridge. Routers are also called layer 3 switches. There are also layer 4 switches.

TurK-FX

Switch is an evolved bridge. It has usually more ports, and greater bandwich. When i started to my CCENT study, i always confused bridges with repeaters. Repeaters(they are similar to hubs) are layer 1 devices, and bridges are layer 2.

networker050184

Michael2 wrote: »

A switch is not necessarily a bridge. Routers are also called layer 3 switches. There are also layer 4 switches.

You are getting to semantics at this point. A bridge forwards on L2 addressing which is the same thing a switch does. There are other types of 'bridges' but they are not the same in the essence we are speaking of here.

Iristheangel

Think of it this way: a bridge is intelligent enough to recognize MAC addresses but not IP addresses. What layer are MAC addresses on? Well, there you go

As far as will it decrease the collision domains? Think of a switch with two ports connecting two segments. Each port would be it's own collision domain. Now if you had a hub between those two segments, it'd be one big collision domain because a hub is not intelligent enough to recognize MAC or IP addresses. It's a layer 1 device that just repeats what's on the wire