# CSNET

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Early computer network in the US

 A diagram for CSNET members in the USA in 1983.

The **Computer Science Network** (**CSNET**) was a computer network that began operation in 1981 in the United States.[1] Its purpose was to extend networking benefits, for [computer science](/source/Computer_science) departments at academic and research institutions that could not be directly connected to [ARPANET](/source/ARPANET), due to funding or authorization limitations. It played a significant role in spreading awareness of, and access to, national networking and was a major milestone on the path to development of the global [Internet](/source/Internet). CSNET was funded by the [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation) for an initial three-year period from 1981 to 1984.

## History

By 1986 about 150 computers connected to [ARPANET](/source/ARPANET), and about 2000 computers to the larger Arpa [Internet](/source/Internet). Membership of ARPANET was restricted to universities and companies with [United States Department of Defense](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense) contracts. Other commercial, educational, and nonprofit organizations, ineligible for membership, wanted to interchange information with them.[2]

[Lawrence Landweber](/source/Lawrence_Landweber) at the [University of Wisconsin–Madison](/source/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison) prepared the original CSNET proposal, on behalf of a consortium of universities ([Georgia Tech](/source/Georgia_Tech), [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota), [University of New Mexico](/source/University_of_New_Mexico), [University of Oklahoma](/source/University_of_Oklahoma), [Purdue University](/source/Purdue_University), [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley), [University of Utah](/source/University_of_Utah), [University of Virginia](/source/University_of_Virginia), [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington), [University of Wisconsin](/source/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison), and [Yale University](/source/Yale_University)). The US [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation) (NSF) requested a review from [David J. Farber](/source/David_J._Farber) at the [University of Delaware](/source/University_of_Delaware). Farber assigned the task to his graduate student Dave Crocker who was already active in the development of [electronic mail](/source/Email).[3] The project was deemed interesting but in need of significant refinement. The proposal eventually gained the support of [Vinton Cerf](/source/Vinton_Cerf) and [DARPA](/source/DARPA). In 1980, the NSF awarded $5 million to launch the network. It was an unusually large project for the NSF at the time.[4] A stipulation for the award of the contract was that the network needed to become self-sufficient by 1986.[1]

The first management team consisted of Landweber (University of Wisconsin), Farber (University of Delaware), [Peter J. Denning](/source/Peter_J._Denning) ([Purdue University](/source/Purdue_University)), [Anthony C. Hearn](/source/Anthony_C._Hearn) ([RAND Corporation](/source/RAND_Corporation)), and Bill Kern from the NSF.[5] Once CSNET was fully operational, the systems and ongoing network operations were transferred to a team led by Richard Edmiston[6] at [Bolt Beranek and Newman](/source/BBN_Technologies) (BBN) of [Cambridge, Massachusetts](/source/Cambridge%2C_Massachusetts) by 1984.[7]

The Purdue team, consisting of Peter Denning, Douglas Comer, and Paul McNabb, was responsible for designing and building the kernel interfaces that would allow sites outside of the ARPANET infrastructure to connect via public [X.25](/source/X.25) networks, such as [Telenet](/source/Telenet). The mechanism allowed systems with TCP/IP network stacks to use an X.25 network device, with IP datagrams being sent through dynamically allocated X.25 sessions. Purdue and other sites with ARPANET access would act as gateways into the ARPANET, allowing non-ARPANet sites to have email, telnet, ftp, and other forms of network access directly into the ARPANET.

By 1981, three sites were connected: University of Delaware, [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University), and Purdue University. By 1982, 24 sites were connected expanding to 84 sites by 1984, including one in Israel. Soon thereafter, connections were established to computer science departments in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea, and Japan. CSNET eventually connected more than 180 institutions,[8] 60% universities, although as of 1988[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CSNET&action=edit) most members only had email connections. Sites exchanged data via either X.25 or Phonenet, a [store and forward](/source/Store_and_forward) protocol.[2]

One of the earliest experiments in free software distribution on a network, [netlib](/source/Netlib), was available on CSNET.[9]

CSNET was a forerunner of the [National Science Foundation Network](/source/National_Science_Foundation_Network) (NSFNet) which eventually became a backbone of the Internet. CSNET operated autonomously until 1989, when it merged with [BITNET](/source/BITNET) to form the [Corporation for Research and Educational Networking](/source/Corporation_for_Research_and_Educational_Networking) (CREN). By 1991, the success of the NSFNET and NSF-sponsored regional networks had rendered the CSNET services redundant, and the CSNET network was shut down in October 1991.[10]

## Components

The CSNET project had three primary components: an email relaying service (Delaware and RAND), a name service (Wisconsin), and [TCP/IP](/source/TCP%2FIP)-over-[X.25](/source/X.25) tunnelling technology (Purdue). Initial access was with email relaying, through gateways at Delaware and RAND, over dial-up telephone or X.29/X.25 terminal emulation. Eventually CSNET access added TCP/IP, including running over X.25.[11]

The email relaying service was called Phonenet, after the telephone-specific channel of the [MMDF](/source/MMDF) software developed by Crocker. The CSNET [name service](/source/Name_service) allowed manual and automated email address lookup based on various user attributes, such as name, title, or institution.[12] The X.25 tunneling allowed an institution to connect directly to the ARPANET via a commercial X.25 service ([Telenet](/source/Telenet)), by which the institution's TCP/IP traffic would be tunneled to a CSNET computer that acted as a relay between the ARPANET and the commercial X.25 networks. CSNET also developed dialup-on-demand (Dialup IP) software to automatically initiate or disconnect [SLIP](/source/Serial_Line_Internet_Protocol) sessions as needed to remote locations.[13] CSNET was developed on [Digital Equipment Corporation](/source/Digital_Equipment_Corporation) (DEC) [VAX-11](/source/VAX-11) systems using BSD Unix, but it grew to support a variety of hardware and [operating system](/source/Operating_system) platforms.

## Recognition

At the July 2009 [Internet Engineering Task Force](/source/Internet_Engineering_Task_Force) meeting in [Stockholm](/source/Stockholm), [Sweden](/source/Sweden), the [Internet Society](/source/Internet_Society) recognized the pioneering contribution of CSNET by honoring it with the [Jonathan B. Postel Service Award](/source/Jonathan_B._Postel_Service_Award). Crocker accepted the award on behalf of Landweber and the other [principal investigators](/source/Principal_investigator).[14] A recording of the award presentation and acceptance is available.[15]

## See also

- [National Science Foundation Network](/source/National_Science_Foundation_Network)

- [Timeline of the history of the Internet](/source/Timeline_of_the_history_of_the_Internet)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nsf_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nsf_1-1) ["The Internet—From Modest Beginnings"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161007113705/https://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf0050/internet/modest.htm). *NSF website*. Archived from [the original](https://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf0050/internet/modest.htm) on 2016-10-07. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fisher19880425_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fisher19880425_2-1) Fisher, Sharon (1988-04-25). ["The Largest Computer Network"](https://books.google.com/books?id=pj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57). *InfoWorld*. pp. S7–S10. Retrieved 2025-04-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dave Crocker (August 18, 2008). ["Impact of Email Work at The Rand Corporation in the mid-1970s"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120510112529/http://bbiw.net/articles/rand-email.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](http://bbiw.net/articles/rand-email.pdf) (PDF) on May 10, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Douglas Comer](/source/Douglas_Comer) (October 1983). ["History and overview of CSNET"](https://doi.org/10.1145%2F358413.358423). *Communications*. **26** (10): 747–753. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1145/358413.358423](https://doi.org/10.1145%2F358413.358423). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [11943330](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:11943330).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Peter J. Denning](/source/Peter_J._Denning); Anthony Hearn; C. William Kern (April 1983). "History and overview of CSNET". [*Proceedings of the symposium on Communications Architectures & Protocols - COMM '83*](https://web.archive.org/web/20111026035120/http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/documents/Comm83.pdf) (PDF). Vol. 13. [SIGCOMM](/source/SIGCOMM), [Association for Computing Machinery](/source/Association_for_Computing_Machinery). p. 138. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1145/1035237.1035267](https://doi.org/10.1145%2F1035237.1035267). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-89791-089-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-89791-089-7). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [28021088](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:28021088). Archived from [the original](http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/documents/Comm83.pdf) (PDF) on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-09-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Partridge, Craig; Blumenthal (March 2006). "Data Networking at BBN". *IEEE Annals of the History of Computing*. **28** (1): 63. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2006IAHC...28a..56P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006IAHC...28a..56P). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1109/MAHC.2006.7](https://doi.org/10.1109%2FMAHC.2006.7). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [16881178](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:16881178).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Rick Adrion (October 5, 1983). ["CSNET Transition Plan Bulletin #1"](http://www.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/museum/csnet-transition-bulletin.n1.1). *email message*. National Science Foundation. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [CSNET History](http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ii_csnet.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Jack J. Dongarra](/source/Jack_J._Dongarra); Eric Grosse (May 1987). "Distribution of mathematical software via electronic mail". *Communications*. **30** (5): 403–407. [CiteSeerX](/source/CiteSeerX_(identifier)) [10.1.1.73.7679](https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.73.7679). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1145/22899.22904](https://doi.org/10.1145%2F22899.22904). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [52895937](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:52895937).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [CSNET-CIC Shutdown Notice](ftp://athos.rutgers.edu/resource-guide/chapter6/section6-6.txt)[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Craig Partridge; Leo Lanzillo (Feb 1989). "Implementation of Dial-up IP for UNIX Systems". *Proceedings of the 1989 Winter USENIX Technical Conference*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Larry Landweber; Michael Litzkow; D. Neuhengen; Marvin Solomon (April 1983). "Architecture of the CSNET name server". *Proceedings of the symposium on Communications Architectures & Protocols - COMM '83*. Vol. 13. [SIGCOMM](/source/SIGCOMM), [Association for Computing Machinery](/source/Association_for_Computing_Machinery). p. 146. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1145/1035237.1035268](https://doi.org/10.1145%2F1035237.1035268). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-89791-089-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-89791-089-7). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [9006661](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:9006661).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Dialup IP release"](http://megalextoria.com/usenet-archive/news133f1/b197/comp/dcom/modems/00007952.html). BBN Systems and Technologies, Cambridge MA. Retrieved 17 October 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-isoc_14-0)** ["Trailblazing CSNET Network Receives 2009 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award"](http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=1098). *News release*. Internet Society. July 29, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Lynn St. Amour, Dave Crocker (July 29, 2009). ["Postel Award to CSNET"](http://bbiw.net/misc/IETF75-ISOC-Postel-CSNet.mp3). *Audio recording*. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

## External links

- [Living Internet: CSNet](http://livinginternet.com/i/ii_csnet.htm)

- [Exploring the Internet: Round Three, Madison](http://museum.media.org/eti/RoundThree08.html)

v t e Research and education computer networks in the Americas National Brazil: RNP Canada: CANARIE Mexico: CUDI Latin America: RedCLARA USA: Internet2 ESnet Subnational Canada ACORN-NL (NL) ACORN-NS (NS) Cybera (AB) BCNET (BC) MRNet (MB) ORION (ON) RISQ (QC) SRNet (SK) United States CalREN (CA) CEN (CT) ICN (IL) Merit Network (MI) NYSERNet (NY) OARnet (OH) OSHEAN (RI) UEN (UT) Historical Abilene ARPANET DDN CSNET Gigabit Chicago Gigabit Seattle HEPnet NEARnet NIPRNet NSFNET PRNET SATNET SURAnet vBNS See also National research and education network

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [CSNET](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSNET) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSNET?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.