Bridge Router

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What Does Bridge Router Mean?

A bridge router is a type of network device operating as both a bridge and a router.

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It forwards the frames to the connected segments or a LAN when there is no routing information. It also routes all other TCP/IP packets to different networks. The bridge router operates at the network and data link layer of the OSI Model.

This term is also known as a brouter.

Techopedia Explains Bridge Router

A bridge router has the ability to work as two different devices and manage data accordingly. For example, a bridge router can provide bridging capabilities for some protocols such as Token Ring and routing capabilities for protocols such as TCP/IP. When a bridge router receives a packet, it determines whether or not it recognizes network layer protocol stack functionality. If recognized, the bridge router routes the frame using the defined routing logic. If not recognized, it forwards the data packet to the next connected segment.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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