Repeaters offer the simplest form of connectivity. They regenerate received electrical signals at their original strength between cable segments. Bridges are devices used to connect similar or dissimilar LANs together to form an extended LAN. Routers provide packet routing between network segments. Brouter are devices that combine router and bridge functionality. Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, chapter 7: Telecommunications and Network Security (page 397).