Patent attributes
An apparatus and method for routing data packets between a routed network and a local bridged network using integrated routing and bridging (“IRB”) functions are disclosed. In one embodiment a bridge interface between a host in the local bridge network and a bridging engine is IRB enabled. An unnumbered Internet Protocol (“IP”) interface is then added between the host and a routing engine in accordance with the IRB enabled bridge interface. Subsequently packets received from the routed network are forwarded directly by the routing engine to the host in the local bridge network via the unnumbered IP interface, thereby bypassing the bridging engine. Through use of an embodiment of the present invention, packet processing delay in each network device is reduced (because of bypassing the bridging engine), thereby decreasing packet latency in an ever growing network.