Abstract: A method for routing messages within a LAN between a first station attached to the LAN and belonging to a first network and a second station attached to the LAN and belonging to a second network, the method including providing a router operatively attached to both the first network and the second network, sending a frame from the first station to the router, the frame including a destination address of the second station, and sending a redirect message from the router to the first station, the redirect message including a pool address associated with the second station.

Abstract: A transmission system transmits data among interconnected local area networks using a bridge coupled between local area networks which senses whether the data originating node transmitted the data using transparent routing or source routing. The bridges provide interconnection at the MAC-layer and based upon information contained in the MAC-layer header, automatically perform either transparent routing or source routing, depending upon the type of routing used by the data originating node. In addition, the bridge provides source routing over multiple wide area channels to those nodes which use source routing.