What Is a Backbone Network?

A backbone network is a structure that connects smaller subnetworks, often local area networks (LANs), within an organization, allowing data to move quickly and securely between them. 

Connected with high-capacity fiber optic cables, routers, and switches, backbone networks:

  • Manage the flow of data between multiple LANs
  • Quickly reroute traffic during outages
  • Minimize latency

This makes backbone networks crucial for maintaining quick, reliable, and secure large-scale connections.

Why Are Backbone Networks Important For Cybersecurity?

Many corporate subnetworks struggle to keep pace with the rise of data-hungry cloud, AI, and 5G applications today. They’re often costly and unreliable, and don’t have enough capacity to manage such high levels of traffic. What’s more, they often lack the defenses to protect against sophisticated threat actors trying to exploit sensitive data as it moves across the globe. 

Backbone networks play a critical role here in supporting these subnetworks and protecting internet traffic against unauthorized access and data breaches. As the central nervous system of a company’s data traffic, backbone networks make it easy to implement wide-reaching cybersecurity measures, such as: 

  • Traffic monitoring: Advanced monitoring tools such as intrusion detection systems (IDS) analyze network traffic and connection points for suspicious activities, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, helping to detect and prevent threats in real-time. 
  • Segmentation: Backbone networks can segment traffic, stopping attackers from moving laterally across the network if one part is compromised.
  • Zero trust: Backbone networks don’t trust any user or device by default. Instead, they make sure that every access request is authenticated, authorized, and encrypted.
  • Encryption: The data transmitted through backbone networks is encrypted, making sure that it can’t be tampered with by unauthorized parties.

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The Internet Backbone: A Type Of Backbone Network

The largest and most well-known example of a backbone network is the internet backbone, a decentralized backbone network that moves data across the globe. Hosted by various commercial and governmental entities, the internet backbone is a complex web between major internet service providers (ISPs) which consists of:

  • Data traffic
  • Routing protocols
  • Peering agreements 

It’s responsible for the fast, reliable, and scalable connectivity of the internet today.

Are Backbone Networks The Same As Wide Area Networks?

Although a network backbone can reach large distances, it’s not a network by itself, but rather a structure that holds different subnetworks within an organization together and lets them communicate. 

A wide area network (WAN), on the other hand, is a network that connects LANs across cities, countries, or even continents. The key point here is that WANs rely on a backbone network to manage these connections and work properly over such large distances. 

Network Backbone vs. LANs vs. WANs

Here are the differences between backbone networks, LANs, and WANs.

  • LANs connect local computers in a single space, such as your home or office. 
  • WANs are used to connect different LANs across larger areas, spanning from several meters to several countries apart. 
  • A backbone network is the central infrastructure that connects these subnetworks and manages the flow of data between them. 

Backbone Network Architecture

Backbone networks consist of several hardware and software components. The way these pieces fit together can get quite complicated, so we can simplify things by comparing data traffic to vehicle traffic.

Fiber Optic Cables (Highways)

High-capacity fiber optic cables are the physical highways of a backbone network. They send data at the speed of light across the world. 

Routers and Switches (Traffic Controllers)

Data needs help to find its way. Routers direct data packets to their destinations, while switches connect devices within a local network and manage how data moves between them.

Network Nodes and Pops (Junctions)

Data passes through network nodes—where network connections are made—and physical points of presence (PoPs), where it can be rerouted or transferred to different networks.

Network Protocols (Rules of The Road)

Network protocols like TCP/IP make sure that data is broken down into packets, and that they arrive at the right destination in the right order.

Network Hubs (City Centers)

Network hubs connect different backbone networks and let vast amounts of data move between countries and continents.

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4 Types Of Backbone Network

Backbone networks can vary in design depending on your company’s size, needs, and the level of control you want. Here are the main types of backbone networks, along with their pros and cons:

#1: Serial

The simplest type of network backbone, where devices are connected one after the other, like a chain.

  • Pros – good for smaller, more straightforward networks.
  • Cons hard to scale, and if one device or connection in the chain fails, it can take down the entire network.

#2: Collapsed

Everything connects to a central device, like a switch or router.

  • Pros easy to manage and works well for spread-out networks.
  • Cons – can be hard to scale, and if the central device fails, the entire network could go down. 

#3: Parallel

Devices are connected with multiple cables, so if one connection fails, others can take over. 

  • Pros highly reliable, with a slim chance of downtime. 
  • Cons – can be expensive to set up and maintain, and complex to troubleshoot or upgrade.

#4: Distributed

Multiple devices (like hubs, routers, or switches) are connected in a hierarchy (core, distribution, and access layer). 

  • Pros good for big networks (and large companies) that need to scale on a budget.
  • Cons – the hierarchical structure can get complicated as the network grows, and device failure can cause disruption.

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FAQs

What are the benefits of a fiber optic backbone network?
Fiber optic networks offer several advantages over traditional copper-based networks. Fiber optic cables can handle significantly higher data transfer rates, crucial for today’s data-intensive applications.  Data travels at the speed of light through fiber optic cables, resulting in minimal delays and faster response times. Fiber optic cables are not affected by electromagnetic interference, ensuring reliable data transmission even in noisy environments.  Finally, fiber optic cables are difficult to tap into, making them a more secure option for transmitting sensitive data.
How do parallel and serial backbones differ in terms of fault tolerance?
Serial backbones create a single chain of connections. If one device fails, the entire network can go down. This makes them vulnerable and lack fault tolerance.
Parallel backbones, on the other hand, utilize multiple cables to connect devices. This redundancy ensures that if one connection fails, others can take over, minimizing network downtime. 

Parallel backbones offer significantly better fault tolerance, making them ideal for critical applications where network availability is paramount.
What are the main components of a distributed backbone network?
Distributed backbone networks have a hierarchical structure consisting of three layers. The core layer is the central hub of the network, connecting to other backbone networks and handling high volumes of data. The distribution layer acts as a bridge between the core layer and the access layer, segmenting traffic and managing network resources. Finally, the access layer connects individual devices and LANs to the network, providing access to the shared resources.
What is the role of central connectivity devices in a backbone network?
Central connectivity devices, such as routers and switches, play a critical role in managing data flow within a backbone network.  Routers analyze the destination address of each data packet and forward it to the appropriate network segment. Switches connect devices within a local network, managing data traffic and creating a high-speed connection. Central connectivity devices can also implement security measures, such as access control lists (ACLs) and firewalls, to prevent unauthorized access and protect the network from malicious attacks.
How do network segments contribute to network availability?
Network segments are smaller, isolated portions of a larger network. By dividing a network into segments, you can improve performance by isolating network traffic and reducing congestion, leading to faster data transmission. You can also enhance security by limiting the impact of security breaches. If one segment is compromised, the attacker cannot easily access other parts of the network. Finally, you can increase resilience by isolating failures. If one segment experiences an outage, the rest of the network can continue to operate. Overall, network segmentation plays a crucial role in enhancing network availability, performance, and security.

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