Transparent Bridges:

A bridge is a device that operates at the Data Link Layer of the OSI model. It
selectively forwards frames based on an examination of the Data Link Layer addresses in
the frames. Any device that fits this description is acting as a transparent bridge.
This definition has an important implication: A bridge doesn't care what upper layer protocols
are being used. A bridge will forward packets correctly whether they are NetWare, TCP/IP,
AppleTalk, or even DECnet. As long as the bridge has the right kind of NIC, it can forward
properly. Because of this quality, bridges are said to be protocol independent.

The Concept Of Transparency:

When a NIC (Network Interface Card) receives a valid packet, the normal behavior is for
the NIC to check to see if the Destination DLC Address in the packet is one that it has been
configured to recognize. If the destination DLC Address is one that the NIC has been
configured to recognize, then the packet is passed up to the next higher layer of processing.
Bridges, on the other hand, listen to the network in promiscuous mode, meaning that they
accept all packets, regardless of the packets' addressing. On a side note, this promiscuous
mode is the same thing that allows your network analyzer to capture all the packets going
across the network. The bridge then looks up each packet's Destination DLC Address in its
internal tables to find out which port the Destination NIC is attached to. Finally, it forwards
the packet onto only the necessary port. In the case of a broadcast message, the bridge
forwards the packet onto every port except the port that the packet came in on. Promiscuous
listening is the key to the bridge's transparent operation. Since the bridge effectively "hears"
all packets that are transmitted, it can decide whether forwarding is necessary without any
special behavior from the individual stations.

Transparent Bridging Behavior:

Consider a simple network consisting of a four-port transparent bridge with five stations
attached to it. The ports on the bridge shall be numbered one through four, with Station A
and Station B on port 1, no station on port 2, Station C on port 3, and Station D and Station
E on port 4.