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          As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2001
                                                     Registration No. 333-______
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                -----------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                -----------------

                             JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

                                -----------------


             DELAWARE                                        77-0422528
    (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF                       (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
    INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)                       IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)


                           1194 NORTH MATHILDA AVENUE
                               SUNNYVALE, CA 94089
   (ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF REGISTRANT'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

                                -----------------

           JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC. 2000 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)

                                -----------------

                                  LISA C. BERRY
                         VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL
                                  AND SECRETARY
                           1194 NORTH MATHILDA AVENUE
                           SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94089
                                  408-745-2000
     (NAME, ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR
                                    SERVICE)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE




=================================================================================================================================
                                                                         PROPOSED MAXIMUM       PROPOSED MAXIMUM      AMOUNT OF
TITLE OF EACH CLASS OF SECURITIES                 AMOUNT TO BE            OFFERING PRICE           AGGREGATE         REGISTRATION
        TO BE REGISTERED                            REGISTERED              PER SHARE            OFFERING PRICE           FEE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                          
Common Stock, $0.00001 par value per
share, to be issued under the Juniper
Networks, Inc. 2000 Nonstatutory Stock
Option Plan ............................         15,904,261 shares          $ 53.12(1)          $ 844,834,344(1)      $ 211,209
=================================================================================================================================



(1)     Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) solely for the purpose of
        calculating the registration fee based upon the average of the high and
        low prices of the Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq National Market
        on March 27, 2001.

This Registration Statement will become effective upon filing in accordance with
Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933.


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PART II: INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

        Juniper Networks, Inc. hereby incorporates by reference in this
registration statement the following documents:

        1.      Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
                31, 2000 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
                March 27, 2001.

        2.      The description of Juniper Networks, Inc. common stock contained
                in its Registration Statement on Form 8-A as filed with the
                Securities and Exchange Commission on June 11, 1999 pursuant to
                Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
                amended.

        3.      Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-44148) filed
                with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 18th,
                2000.

        All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this registration statement
which indicates that all Securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters all Securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated
by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof from the
date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS




     EXHIBIT
      NUMBER                            DOCUMENTS
     -------                            ---------
                 
         5.1        Opinion of Lisa C. Berry, Vice President, General Counsel
                    and Secretary

        10.1        2000 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan (as amended through
                    January 1, 2001)

        23.1        Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1)

        23.2        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors

        24.1        Power of Attorney (see page II-2)




                                                                           II-1
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                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Sunnyvale, State of California, on this 29th day of
March, 2001.



                                             JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC.

                                             By: /s/ Marcel Gani
                                                 -----------------------------
                                                 Marcel Gani
                                                 Chief Financial Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Marcel Gani and Lisa C. Berry, and each of them,
as his or her attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution in each, for him
or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. PURSUANT
TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT
HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE FOLLOWING PERSONS IN THE CAPACITIES AND ON THE DATES
INDICATED.





         SIGNATURE                                          TITLE                                      DATE
         ---------                                          -----                                      ----
                                                                                              
/s/ Scott Kriens                                 President, Chief Executive Officer and             March 29, 2001
----------------------------------               Chairman of the Board
Scott Kriens                                     (Principal Executive Officer)


/s/ Marcel Gani                                  Chief Financial Officer                            March 29, 2001
----------------------------------               (Principal Financial and
Marcel Gani                                      Accounting Officer)


/s/ Pradeep Sindhu                               Chief Technical Officer and                        March 29, 2001
----------------------------------               Vice Chairman of the Board
Pradeep Sindhu


/s/ William R. Hearst III                        Director                                           March 29, 2001
----------------------------------
William R. Hearst III


/s/ Vinod Khosla                                 Director                                           March 29, 2001
----------------------------------
Vinod Khosla


/s/ C. Richard Kramlich                          Director                                           March 29, 2001
----------------------------------
C. Richard Kramlich


/s/ Stratton Sclavos                             Director                                           March 29, 2001
----------------------------------
Stratton Sclavos


/s/ William Stensrud                             Director                                           March 29, 2001
----------------------------------
William Stensrud




                                      II-2


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                             JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC.

                       REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS




      EXHIBIT
      NUMBER                                   DOCUMENTS
      ------                                   ---------
                 
         5.1        Opinion of Lisa C. Berry, Vice President, General Counsel
                    and Secretary

        10.1        2000 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan (as amended through
                    January 1, 2001)

        23.1        Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1)

        23.2        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors

        24.1        Power of Attorney (see page II-2)