Video History Project

Chronology

CSNET

Date
1980

CSNET was initially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide networking for university, industry and government computer science research groups. CSNET used the Phonenet MMDF protocol for telephone-based electronic mail relaying and, in addition, pioneered the first use of TCP/IP over X.25 using commercial public data networks. The CSNET name server provided an early example of a white pages directory service and this software is still in use at numerous sites.

At its peak, CSNET had approximately 200 participating sites and international connections to approximately fifteen countries.

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"CSNET." Video History Project, Experimental Television Center, 2011. https://www.videohistoryproject.org/csnet.

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Summary

Funded by the National Science Foundation, CSNET provided networking for university, industry and government computer science research groups; it used the Phonenet MMDF protocol for telephone-based electronic mail relaying and pioneered TCP/IP over X.25 on commercial public data networks. The CSNET name server provided an early white pages directory service whose software remains in use at numerous sites; at its peak CSNET included approximately 200 participating sites and had international connections to approximately fifteen countries.

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Last modified 16 May 2011

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