What is a Backbone Network and What Types are There

The network is made up of many elements so that we can connect and have access to the Internet. We can mention the devices, the software we use, the routers or access points, the cabling … In addition, there are also many types of networks and ways to connect. In this article we are going to talk about what is backbone or backbone .

What is backbone or backbone network

Backbone means spinal column in English. We can say that a backbone network is one that connects numerous interconnected routers between them. This can be used to connect an organization’s headquarters, government buildings, universities … But it can also go much further and be able to connect countries or even continents.

Backbone Network

To make all this possible , fiber optic cables are used , which can even be submarine. Its infrastructure allows interconnecting networks that can communicate with each other through a route. They connect local area networks (LAN) with wide area networks (WAN). In this way, they allow to achieve optimal performance in data communications on a large scale and regardless of whether it is a great distance.

It must be taken into account that a backbone network can be a not very wide set of lines, but also a much larger set. This is so since we could be talking about a local backbone, in which a line or set of lines are connected to have access to a wide network area, while we can also be dealing with a set of local or regional networks that they interconnect to reach a very wide distance.

Backbone o red troncal

Types of backbone or trunk networks

Trunk networks are mainly used in medium or large size networks. They can be, for example, those that are installed in a building or a group of buildings to connect faculties, areas of a company, etc. There are several types that we can name.

Serial backbone

The first type is called serial backbone . In this case, a serial backbone network is one that is made up of two or more devices that are connected in a chain. It is the most basic type of backbone. It can be achieved through switches, gateways or routers.

Serial networks are not very scalable. It is one of the reasons why they are not widely used if we compare them with other options.

Distributed backbone

On the other hand, we can find a distributed backbone or backbone network. In this case, use a more hierarchical design to build the network. There are intermediate devices, such as routers or switches, that are used to connect other equipment. All these intermediate equipment are in turn connected to single or multiple connectivity devices.

This time we are facing a more scalable type of networks. New layers of devices can be added to meet the need.

Collapsed backbone

The last type is collapsed backbone . A powerful router is the one that serves as the central connection point for the different subnets. This equipment must have adequate power to be able to cover all the demand.

One of the drawbacks of this type of network is that if the central device has an error and fails, the entire network would automatically go down. It is, in a way, a risk option.

Parallel backbone

One more alternative is the parallel backbone . In this case the devices have more than one connection between them. There are many connections between high-level routers and different network segments.

By achieving a duplicate connection we can achieve higher availability at any time and thus reduce potential problems. In addition, the speed is also higher. However, as we can imagine, this also increases the price.

In short, a backbone or backbone network is used to connect many networks within a larger one. In this way we can interconnect buildings, cities or countries. We have seen that there are different types, in addition. Each of these types can be useful in certain circumstances to adapt our connections to the real needs that we are going to have.