A-8 APPENDIX A: BRIDGING AND ROUTINGRouting IP and IPXRunning a bridged network allows workstations to communicatedirectly between one another. A PC user wishing to communicate witha remote network server is totally unaware of any intervening bridges.This is known as transparent operation.Figure A-3 Example NetworkIt is important to understand that in a bridged network the addressingstructure for both IP and IPX relates to a single network. If the units inFigure A-3 were bridges and not routers, then an IP node on LAN Acould, for example, have an address 140.56.10.0, the node on LAN B anaddress 140.56.10.2, and the node on LAN C, an address of 140.56.10.3.All the nodes, therefore, are able to share the same Class B networkaddress, regardless of their location on the bridged network.However, if there were NetWare nodes throughout the three bridgedsites, they would also share the same IPX network number. If each ofthe bridged LANs supported a network server, each with its ownunique network number, and an IPX address is misconfigured, theNetWare network server consoles will report the message ‘RouterConfiguration Error – Router XXXXX claims that LAN is XX-XX-XX-XX’.(The router it refers to is in fact the network server).
