difference between switching and bridging

[amms68958]

Hi,

Can anyone please explain the difference between switching and bridging?

If u can give any url,it will b very helpful...

Thanks in advance...

[Prashanth Krishnappa]

Bridging is a Layer 2 feature in the OSI Model. A bridge’s job is to copy frames based on MAC address. A router which is a layer 3 device can be configured to bridge. Bridging is also used to transfer some non routable protocols such as NetBIOS and DECnet. You can find more info

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/software/ios120/12cgcr/ibm_c/index.htm

Switching is Marketing term for bridging. We have Catalyst product line of switches with hundreds of ports which does switching at layer2/3/4. You can find more documentation on CCO at

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/44/jump/switches.shtml

[efrahim]

Switches and Bridges are pretty similar, both operate at the Data Link layer and forward based on the bridge table ( MAc address table) although newer switches sometimes include the capabilities of a Layer 3 functionality usaully called the Layer 3 switching so baiscally the switch and bridge are the same but in modern LAN where there are virual lans and QOS, multicast feature , switches is the term and the bridges are used to extend the distance capabilities of the network while minimizing overall traffic.

[axfalk]

Is the bridge table ( MAc address table) the same as the CAM table on a switch?

Thanks.

_ Alex

[efrahim]

yes.

[aaenfield]

They are the same functionally. Bridging is older terminology generally associated with software forwarding as opposed to a switch that forwards in hardware.