Router, Switch, Bridge Tables

[gsalmon444]

Hi all

What is the concept being how Routers, Bridges and Switches in how they make their routing tables. Is that way they create them all the same by in the way that they read the source MAC address of an incoming packet and place this in the routing table if its not there, then look at the destination address of an incoming packet and look it up in the table to foreward it on to that specific port.

All replies much apprecitated.

Roady

[carenas123]

Routers build the Routing Table with the help of Routing Protocols like RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, etc. You can refer to the Internetwork Technology Handbook for detailed explanation.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk1330/tsd_technology_support_technical_reference_book09186a00807594e5.html

Refer the chapters:

Routing Basics

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)

Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP)

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)

Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)

Bridges and Switches form the MAC Address table using a procedure called backward learning. The procedure is explained along with a good demo at

How LAN Switches Work

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk389/tk390/technologies_tech_note09186a00800a7af3.shtml