multiport bridge

A multiport bridge is a bridge that has more than two ports and can connect multiple subnets.

Multiport bridges can be both local and remote bridges. With these bridges, a star-shaped coupling of the subnets is realized, with the multiport bridge forming the star point. This makes it easier to set up configurations in tree topology and reduces the need for dedicated bridges.

Load bal ancing on different network links is facilitated by this bridge type; on the other hand, a more difficult load problem occurs with broadcast and multicast, and filtering is also much more difficult than with two- port bridges. Multiport bridges facilitate network planning and are more cost-effective than multiple two-port bridges.