I can't realize any authoritative supply which will briefly justify the distinction between a bridge and a switch. As so much as I will tell, most devices unremarkably spoken as "switches" match the outline of "bridge" as outlined by the IEEE 802.1D normal. whereas it's going to be the case that a tool may be each a bridge and a switch (perhaps "switch" may be a set of "bridge"?), I will solely realize "hand-wavy" explanations of the distinction. the foremost unremarkably cited variations I even have encounter boil right down to one in all these two:
Switches have several ports, bridges solely have 2 (or another tiny number)
Switches perform forwarding in hardware, whereas bridges perform it in software package
I'm unhappy with these answers because:
The IEEE standards clearly do not state or assume that bridges can have solely 2 ports. If something, the belief is that there'll be more than 2 ports. therefore this clarification is solely absurd. (Even Cisco makes an attempt to pass this off collectively of the differences).
The IEEE standards appear to outline "bridge" by what it will, not by however it will it. there is nothing within the normal that I may realize that says bridging should or ought to be exhausted software package. therefore a bridge that forwards in hardware would still be a bridge as so much because the normal thinks about.
In fact, after I searched the IEEE 802.1D normal, there was no mention of the word "switch" in any respect. therefore "bridge" appears to be the technically correct term. However, since the word "switch" appears to be additional unremarkably used (by far) i can not facilitate however surprise if there's some actual differentiating issue. Or is that this simply a case of various words getting used to explain identical thing?
References to sources would be particularly appreciated.
EDIT: I ought to add that i'm totally attentive to the actual fact that bridges aren't identical issue as repeaters.
Switches have several ports, bridges solely have 2 (or another tiny number)
Switches perform forwarding in hardware, whereas bridges perform it in software package
I'm unhappy with these answers because:
The IEEE standards clearly do not state or assume that bridges can have solely 2 ports. If something, the belief is that there'll be more than 2 ports. therefore this clarification is solely absurd. (Even Cisco makes an attempt to pass this off collectively of the differences).
The IEEE standards appear to outline "bridge" by what it will, not by however it will it. there is nothing within the normal that I may realize that says bridging should or ought to be exhausted software package. therefore a bridge that forwards in hardware would still be a bridge as so much because the normal thinks about.
In fact, after I searched the IEEE 802.1D normal, there was no mention of the word "switch" in any respect. therefore "bridge" appears to be the technically correct term. However, since the word "switch" appears to be additional unremarkably used (by far) i can not facilitate however surprise if there's some actual differentiating issue. Or is that this simply a case of various words getting used to explain identical thing?
References to sources would be particularly appreciated.
EDIT: I ought to add that i'm totally attentive to the actual fact that bridges aren't identical issue as repeaters.
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