Tahoe routers can work as an Ethernet bridge. In this mode both interconnected networks (on Ethernet side and on the remote end of the WAN) appear as a single LAN, as if both were plugged into the same Ethernet switch.
Only packets destined to the remote stations and broadcast packets (ARP, etc.) are transmitted to the other side. As a result, stations on both sides of the WAN link may be in one IP subnet and they see each other as if on one local network.
Bridge can work in two modes:
- managed - router is still accessible under its IP address, thus allowing e.g. telnet connections or gathering statistics through SNMP
- unmanaged - router is completely transparent and cannot be managed using telnet or SNMP