Trunk arrangement in a computer network with intra trunk switch connections

The present invention relates to connecting a plurality of edge devices to each other over a plurality of lines, and in particular through a plurality of trunk switches where the trunk switches have a high speed connection between them. A trunk switch of a trunk cluster for connecting a plurality of edge devices to each other, where each edge device can communicate with all the other edge devices through all of the trunk switches. Each trunk switch contains an intra cluster port and intra cluster links connect the intra cluster ports of different trunk switches. When an edge device becomes disconnected from one trunk switch, but is still connected to another trunk switch, the trunk switch from which it has become disconnected transfers the data destined for the disconnected edge device to the intra cluster port which then transfers that data to another trunk switch. The another trunk switch, upon receiving the intra cluster data, then forwards that data to the edge device which has become disconnected from the first trunk switch.