14 configuring packet bridging, Introduction to lucent bridging, Chapter 14 – Lucent Technologies 6000 User Manual

Page 521: Configuring packet bridging -1, Introduction to lucent bridging -1, Chapter 14: configuring packet bridging -1, Chapter 14, “configuring packet bridging, Ee chapter 14, “configuring packet bridging.”), Configuring packet bridging

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MAX 6000/3000 Network Configuration Guide

14-1

14

Configuring Packet Bridging

If routing protocols are not supported on your MAX unit, you can establish bridged
connections to provide connectivity between networks. Unless you need to use bridging,
however, you should leave it disabled (the default) to enhance routing performance. A MAX
unit supports transparent bridging with a dynamically created bridge table, which also
incorporates user-defined entries. You must configure the Answer profile to accept bridged
connections, and configure each bridged connection in a Connection or Names/Passwords
profile.

Introduction to Lucent bridging

A bridge is a hardware device that transmits packets between networks. A bridge forwards
packets from one network to another, and discards packets destined for hosts on the sending
network. Operating at the Data Link layer, a bridge makes multiple networks look like a single
network to higher-level protocols and software.

Bridging, the method of moving packets between networks, is useful primarily to provide
connectivity for protocols other than IP, IPX, and AppleTalk, although it can also be used for
joining segments of an IP, IPX, or AppleTalk network. Because a bridging connection
forwards packets at the hardware-address level (link layer), it does not distinguish between
protocol types, and it requires no protocol-specific network configuration.

The most common uses of bridging in the MAX unit are to:

Provide nonrouted protocol connectivity with another site.

Link two sites so that their nodes appear to be on the same LAN.

Support protocols, such as BOOTP, that depend on broadcasts to function.

Introduction to Lucent bridging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

Establishing a bridged connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3

Enabling bridging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3

How the MAX supports bridging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4

Configuring bridged connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5

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