Spanning tree protection using dual switches for LAN service over SONET

According to the present invention, a LAN bridge connection scheme is used to connect each LAN service port (LSP) to two ethernet switch ports (ESP) of separate ethernet switches. The basic unit of the scheme is a three port LAN bridge that comprises a LSP and two ESPs. This structure is repeated for each LSP in the network. The bridge is redundant in that each LSP is connected over separate SONET connections to the ESP of a separate ethernet switch. The typical path of LAN data packets from one LSP to another is therefore LSP to ESP to ethernet switch to ESP to LSP. However, because the LAN bridge is redundant, the two ethernet switches initially are available to provide connections for the two redundant paths. The ethernet switches employ spanning tree protocol to make one only switch active and to therefore disable one of the redundant paths created by the LAN bridge. If, however, one of the paths between a LSP and ESP fails, the spanning tree protocol will act to enable the other ethernet switch to make the redundant path operative and thus provide data protection.