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Introduction
During the initial configuration of the AccessBuilder 500 you must decide
whether to configure the unit as a bridge or as a router although we may
help you with this choice with our Quick Configuration options. If you are
unsure which option you should choose, read this appendix to help you
decide.
Bridges and routers are used to connect networks together. The cost of
connecting networks together is generally proportional to the distance
over which the network extends and the amount of bandwidth required.
Large amounts of bandwidth can be provided easily within a LAN by
connecting different segments together with a local bridge. However, it
becomes impractical and expensive to extend this bandwidth over
larger distances, and it is, therefore, usual to interconnect local high
speed networks using bridges or routers connecting over slower speed
terrestrial and satellite links.
In the following sections we describe the concepts behind bridging
and routing, and discuss the different ways in which LANs can be
configured and operated to optimize performance and minimize
disruption of traffic on each individual LAN.