# Switching, Routing, and Bridging Terminology

DevFeed: [Switching, Routing, and Bridging Terminology](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/switching-routing-and-bridging-terminology-11164.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ipspace.net/2025/04/bridging-routing-switching-terminology/>)

Published: 2025-04-25T05:45:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [ipSpace.net blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ipspace-net-blog.md>)

Topics: [networking](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/networking.md>), [Routing (disambiguation)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/routing.md>), [Network](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/network.md>)

Tags: [bridge](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bridge.md>), [network](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/network.md>), [networking](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/networking.md>), [networking-fundamentals](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/networking-fundamentals.md>), [router](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/router.md>), [routing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/routing.md>), [switching](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/switching.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains networking terminology for moving packets across a network. It distinguishes forwarding, switching, routing, and bridging, describes hubs, bridges, and routers, and introduces different forwarding paradigms, including virtual circuits and segment routing.

## Source excerpt

After discussing networking layers and addressing, it's time to focus on moving packets across a network. Vendors love to use ill-defined terms like switching instead of forwarding, routing, or bridging, so let's start with the terminology. Connecting all relevant devices to a single cable would indubitably simplify any networking stack, but unfortunately, we're almost never that lucky. We need devices in the network (typically with multiple interfaces) that perform packet forwarding between end nodes. Read more ...