<s>
A	O
bridge	B-Device
router	I-Device
or	O
brouter	B-Device
is	O
a	O
network	O
device	O
that	O
works	O
as	O
a	O
bridge	B-Protocol
and	O
as	O
a	O
router	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
brouter	B-Device
routes	O
packets	O
for	O
known	O
protocols	O
and	O
simply	O
forwards	O
all	O
other	O
packets	O
as	O
a	O
bridge	B-Protocol
would	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brouters	B-Device
operate	O
at	O
both	O
the	O
network	B-Application
layer	I-Application
for	O
routable	O
protocols	O
and	O
at	O
the	O
data	B-Protocol
link	I-Protocol
layer	I-Protocol
for	O
non-routable	O
protocols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
networks	O
continue	O
to	O
become	O
more	O
complex	O
,	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
routable	O
and	O
non-routable	O
protocols	O
has	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
the	O
combined	O
features	O
of	O
bridges	O
and	O
routers	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brouters	B-Device
handle	O
both	O
routable	O
and	O
non-routable	O
features	O
by	O
acting	O
as	O
routers	B-Protocol
for	O
routable	O
protocols	O
and	O
bridges	O
for	O
non-routable	O
protocols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brouters	B-Device
are	O
used	O
as	O
connecting	O
devices	O
in	O
the	O
networking	O
system	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
bridge	B-Protocol
in	O
a	O
network	O
and	O
as	O
a	O
router	B-Protocol
in	O
an	O
internetwork	O
.	O
</s>
