CSNET

CSNET (Computer Science Network) was founded by the US National Science Foundation in the early 1980’s with leadership by Larry Landweber and David J Farber.

It was the first to link to academic Computer Science Departments natio

n-wide. It was an alternative to ARPANET, to which many computer science departments didn’t have the privilege of access. It supported departments without sophisticated network connections, using auto rated dial-up exchange. In March 1980 NSF reviewed the CSNET proposal, and returned comments’ to the proposers. NSF thought it was an interesting idea but doubted the University’s lack of networking experience. Vinton Cerf and DARPA supported the proposal whereby NSF awarded $5 million to the CSNET project.

Vinton Cerf proposed an establishment of a network gateway between CSNET and ARPANET.  TCP/IP was chosen as a common network protocol. CSNET grew rapidly across the US with email USENET interfaces. In February 1984, Israel became the first international node on the CSNET followed by Korea, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan. CSNET played an important role in popularizing the internet outside ARPANET; connecting more than 180 institutions and thousands of new users that went on to further the awareness and spread the growing network.

      Organization of the Project

    Technical Subprojects of CSNET.

In 1988, managing boards of CSNET and BITNET (Because It’s Time Network) voted to merge, creating a larger network managed by the new Corporation for research and Education Networking (CREN).