ntwrk swtch (ls clld swtchng hb, brdgng hb, thrnt swtch, nd, by th , MC brdg) s ntwrkng hrdwr tht cnncts dvcs n cmptr ntwrk by sng pckt swtchng t rcv nd frwrd dt t th dstntn dvc.
ntwrk swtch s mltprt ntwrk brdg tht ss MC ddrsss t frwrd dt t th dt lnk lyr (lyr 2) f th S mdl. Sm swtchs cn ls frwrd dt t th ntwrk lyr (lyr 3) by ddtnlly ncrprtng rtng fnctnlty. Sch swtchs r cmmnly knwn s lyr-3 swtchs r mltlyr swtchs.
Swtchs fr thrnt r th mst cmmn frm f ntwrk swtch. Th frst MC Brdg ws nvntd n 1983 by Mrk Kmpf, n ngnr n th Ntwrkng dvncd Dvlpmnt grp f Dgtl qpmnt Crprtn. Th frst 2 prt Brdg prdct (LNBrdg 100) ws ntrdcd by tht cmpny shrtly ftr. Th cmpny sbsqntly prdcd mlt-prt swtchs fr bth thrnt nd FDD sch s GgSwtch. Dgtl dcdd t lcns ts MC Brdg ptnt n rylty-fr, nn-dscrmntry bss tht llwd stndrdztn. Ths prmttd nmbr f thr cmpns t prdc mlt-prt swtchs, ncldng Klpn. thrnt ws ntlly shrd-ccss mdm, bt th ntrdctn f th MC brdg bgn ts trnsfrmtn nt ts mst-cmmn pnt-t-pnt frm wtht cllsn dmn. Swtchs ls xst fr thr typs f ntwrks ncldng Fbr Chnnl, synchrns Trnsfr Md, nd nfnBnd.
nlk rptr hbs, whch brdcst th sm dt t f ch prt nd lt th dvcs pck t th dt ddrssd t thm, ntwrk swtch lrns th thrnt ddrsss f cnnctd dvcs nd thn nly frwrds dt t th prt cnnctd t th dvc t whch t s ddrssd.