Meaning – The computer science network, also known as CSNet, is a now defunct network, that was designed to provide networking capabilities to universities that could not connect to the ARPANET. This initiative saw funding from the National Science Foundation, for a period of three years, starting from its inception in 1981 till 1984.
CSNet stared by offering this service to a few universities, but by the end, more than 180 universities worldwide, had been connected to CSNet. This initiative was meant to create a truly open network that could be used by computer researchers for a usage fee.
The CSNET project had three primary components: email relay, name service and TCP/IP-over-X.25 tunnelling technology. Users initially accessed CSNet via email relaying, through specific gateways, over dial-up, or X.29/X.25 terminal emulation.
In 1991, the establishment of regional networks rendered CSNet redundant and the project was shut down.
Example of usage – “The university she studies in, was one of the universities connected via CSNet back in the day.”
