What is the difference between Bridge and Switch?

Bridges and Switches are networking device that is used to connect systems together; they are used to link Data and filter data in a way only the required segment or host have access to the exchange. Typically, a bridge connects two LANs establishing a larger LAN to some degree. A bridge only has two ports in and out. A device with more than two ports having the same function of a bridge is considered as a switch.

The major difference between a switch and bridge is the number of networks that each device can connect. Since switches have more than two interfaces, it connects three or more networks or LANs. However, switches are mostly used to connect workstations in a junction. Severally, bridges and switches are used in medium to large networks together. They complement each other, and it's important to state that the Niger or complex the network, the more bridges and switches are needed. Bridges are software-based since packet forwarding is done by software while the switch is hardware-based and packet forwarding done by ASICS (Application Specific Integrated Circuits).

The main difference between a switch and a bridge is the number of networks each can connect, and since switches have more than two interfaces, it can connect three or more networks. Typically, a bridge is used to attach two LANs to form a bigger LAN. Within the larger of the two of the OSI model, the data link layer lies in the function of operation of a network bridge.

A bridge is thought of as an intelligent device and is adept with filtering and regulating traffic that goes beyond it. A bridge can detect the addresses of the pcs within the network. The addresses are collected through the assistance of an address table. The target address of each frame obtained is being analyzed by the bridge to verify that it was received correspondingly.