Lesson 2 - Bridges

   Introduction

Bridges operate at the Data Link Layer of the OSI model, and are sometimes called "Layer 2 devices" or "Link Layer devices." These devices are used to increase the overall performance of a network by isolating traffic within network segments. Bridges are also used to provide connectivity across a wide area. Although the popularity of bridges has diminished because of the widespread use of switches (discussed in the next lesson), they are still commonly found in today's computer networks.

   Objectives

At the end of this lesson you will be able to:

1.	Describe what a bridge does
2.	Explain how a bridge creates separate collision domains
3.	Name at least two reasons to use a bridge

Key Point
Bridges use frame addresses to make bridging decisions.

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