Patent US 9,853,917

Methods and systems for bridging network packets transmitted over heterogeneous media channels are provided. According to one embodiment, a network device maintains translation data structures defining translations among multiple framing media formats used for transmitting or receiving network packets via multiple supported media transmission channels, including (i) between a first framing media format and an intermediate format and (ii) between the intermediate format and a second framing media format. A virtual bridging application representing a single bridging domain for bridging all network traffic traversing the network device translates ingress network packets from the first framing media format to egress network packets of the second framing media format based the translation data structures.