A new scheme for interconnecting LANs with label switching bridges

Ethernet, which has traditionally been the dominant technology in local area networks, is now facing new challenges due to the fact that networks have scaled and today´s applications require more bandwidth and increased robustness against failures. The limitations of Ethernet are mainly imposed by the spanning tree protocol, which is necessary to prevent loops and provide redundancy in a switched network. The successful deployment of Ethernet over MPLS in the metro area have proved that Ethernet LANs can be further enriched with the services enabled by the label switching technique. In this article, we propose a new LAN interconnection technique based on label switching, which enhances network services, simplifies switch functionalities, while remaining flexible enough to be easily deployed in most LAN environments