|  | 7.4 | Layer 2 Devices
| 7.4.3 | Bridges

A bridge connects network segments and must make intelligent decisions about whether to pass signals on to the next segment. A bridge can improve network performance by eliminating unnecessary traffic and minimizing the chances of collisions. The bridge divides traffic into segments and filters traffic based on the station or MAC address.

Bridges are not complicated devices. They analyze incoming frames, make forwarding decisions based on information contained in the frames, and forward the frames toward the destination. Bridges are only concerned with passing packets, or not passing packets, based on their destination MAC address. Bridges often pass packets between networks operating under different Layer 2 protocols. View the Figures - to learn the important properties of bridges.