A method for a bridging mode of operation in a wireless local area network, WLAN, to nodes in one or more external networks, comprising: receiving a frame from a first node in the one or more external networks over a network interface by a first wireless station in the WLAN, wherein the frame includes a source media access control, MAC, address of the first node and a destination MAC address of a second node in the one or more external networks; transmitting the frame in the form of a first MAC protocol data unit, MPDU over a wireless interface to an access point in the WLAN, wherein the first MPDU includes an indication of a bridging mode of operation, the source MAC address and the destination MAC address; retrieving, by the access point, the destination MAC address of the second node from the first MPDU; determining, by the access point, an associated second wireless station for the destination MAC address of the second node from using a bridging table; generating a second MPDU indicating the bridging mode of operation and including the source MAC address of the first node and the destination MAC address of the second node; and transmitting the second MPDU to the second wireless station processing a spanning tree protocol for the WLAN; determining a loop in frame forwarding between wireless stations and the access point in the wireless network; and transmit a command to at least one of the wireless stations requesting to block transmissions from the wireless station, wherein the command is included in an action frame and the action frame has an action type of block port and one or more fields identifying a port of the at least one of the wireless station for blocking. receiving a frame from a first node in the one or more external networks over a network interface by a first wireless station in the WLAN, wherein the frame includes a source media access control, MAC, address of the first node and a destination MAC address of a second node in the one or more external networks; transmitting the frame in the form of a first MAC protocol data unit, MPDU over a wireless interface to an access point in the WLAN, wherein the first MPDU includes an indication of a bridging mode of operation, the source MAC address and the destination MAC address; retrieving, by the access point, the destination MAC address of the second node from the first MPDU; determining, by the access point, an associated second wireless station for the destination MAC address of the second node from using a bridging table; generating a second MPDU indicating the bridging mode of operation and including the source MAC address of the first node and the destination MAC address of the second node; and transmitting the second MPDU to the second wireless station processing a spanning tree protocol for the WLAN; determining a loop in frame forwarding between wireless stations and the access point in the wireless network; and transmit a command to at least one of the wireless stations requesting to block transmissions from the wireless station, wherein the command is included in an action frame and the action frame has an action type of block port and one or more fields identifying a port of the at least one of the wireless station for blocking. <EOS>