backbone switch Also known as a core switch and a tandem switch, a backbone switch is a high-capacity switch positioned in the physical core, or backbone, of a network. In the context of a public wide area network (WAN), a backbone switch serves to interconnect edge switches, which are positioned at the network edge, and does not connect to desktop machines or other end user terminals. In the context of a local area 74570c02.qxd 9/11/07 12:18 PM Page 52 |