content: <PAGE>
  
                                    UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, DC 20549
  
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
  
                               Current Report Pursuant
                            to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
                          Date of Report: October 17, 2001
  
  
                                REDBACK NETWORKS INC.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
  
  <TABLE>
  
  <S>                                           <C>                                         <C>
                    Delaware                                    000-25853                                   77-0438443
  ---------------------------------------       -------------------------------------       -------------------------------------
        (State or Other Jurisdiction of                  (Commission File Number)                         (I.R.S. Employer
                 Incorporation)                                                                         Identification Number)
  </TABLE>
  
                                   250 Holger Way
                                 San Jose, CA 95134
                                   (408) 571-5000
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Addresses, including zip code, and telephone numbers, including
                     area code, of principal executive offices)
  
  
  
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.
  
  On October 10, 2001, Redback Networks Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Redback"),
  announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ending September 30,
  2001. A portion of Redback's press release announcing these financial results is
  attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.
  
  The press release filed as an exhibit to this report includes safe harbor"
  language pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
  amended, indicating that certain statements about the Company's business
  contained in the press release are "forward-looking" rather than "historic." The
  press release also states that these and other risks relating to Redback's
  business are set forth in the documents filed by Redback with the Securities and
  Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent report on Form 10-Q, and the
  other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
  Commission.
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.
  
      (c)  EXHIBITS.
  
           99.1  Press Release dated October 10, 2001
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
  the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                       REDBACK NETWORKS INC.
  
  
  DATE:  October 17, 2001              By:         /s/ Dennis P. Wolf
                                          ----------------------------------------
                                          Dennis P. Wolf
                                          Senior Vice President of Finance and
                                          Administration, Chief Financial Officer
                                          and Corporate Secretary
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "d8k.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 3471}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "REDBACK NETWORKS INC", "cik": "0001081290", "assigned-sic": "7389", "irs-number": "770438443", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-25853", "film-number": "1761085"}, "business-address": {"street1": "250 HOLGER WAY", "city": "SAN JOSE", "state": "CA", "zip": "95134*1306", "phone": "4085715000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1195 BORREGAS AVE", "city": "SUNNYVALE", "state": "CA", "zip": "94089"}}
text: UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, DC 20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                               Current Report Pursuant
                            to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
                          Date of Report: October 17, 2001
  
                                REDBACK NETWORKS INC.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
  Delaware                                    000-25853                                   77-0438443
  ---------------------------------------       -------------------------------------       -------------------------------------
        (State or Other Jurisdiction of                  (Commission File Number)                         (I.R.S. Employer
                 Incorporation)                                                                         Identification Number)
  250 Holger Way
                                 San Jose, CA 95134
                                   (408) 571-5000
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Addresses, including zip code, and telephone numbers, including
                     area code, of principal executive offices)
  
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.
  
  On October 10, 2001, Redback Networks Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Redback"),
  announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ending September 30,
  2001. A portion of Redback's press release announcing these financial results is
  attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.
  
  The press release filed as an exhibit to this report includes safe harbor"
  language pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
  amended, indicating that certain statements about the Company's business
  contained in the press release are "forward-looking" rather than "historic." The
  press release also states that these and other risks relating to Redback's
  business are set forth in the documents filed by Redback with the Securities and
  Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent report on Form 10-Q, and the
  other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
  Commission.
  ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.
  
      (c)  EXHIBITS.
  
           99.1  Press Release dated October 10, 2001
  SIGNATURES
  
           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
  the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                       REDBACK NETWORKS INC.
  
  DATE:  October 17, 2001              By:         /s/ Dennis P. Wolf
                                          ----------------------------------------
                                          Dennis P. Wolf
                                          Senior Vice President of Finance and
                                          Administration, Chief Financial Officer
                                          and Corporate Secretary