methods and apparatus for fiber channel interconnection is provided between a plurality of private loop devices through a fiber channel private loop device interconnect system . in the preferred embodiments , the fiber channel private loop device interconnect system is a fabric or an intelligent bridging hub . in one aspect of this invention , a fiber channel private loop device is connected to two or more arbitrated loops containing , or adapted to contain , one or more private loop devices . preferably , the interconnect system includes a routing filter to filter incoming arbitrated loop physical addresses to determine which fiber channel frames must attempt to be routed through the fabric . numerous topologies of interconnect systems may be achieved . in another aspect of this invention , a method is provided for implementing a logical loop of private loop devices by segmenting the logical loop into a plurality of sets , assigning each set to a physical arbitrated loop and connecting the arbitrated loops to a fiber channel private loop device interconnect system . additional methods are provided for restricting attached devices to arbitrated loop physical addresses within certain ranges . additionally , methods are provided for resetting hosts , the method generally comprising the steps of detecting the addition of a storage device to a first arbitrated loop , and thereafter , resetting the arbitrated loop or loops on which a host or hosts reside on second arbitrated loop . methods for operation with use of scsi initiators generate a link service reject when no address match is found , or when an address match is found , but where no device with the destination alpa exists on the arbitrated loop corresponding to the destination .