networking (ARPANET) A pioneering longhaul wide areanetwork funded by DARPA (when it was still called "ARPA"?).

It became operational in 1968 and served as the basis for

early networking research, as well as a central backbone

during the development of the Internet. The ARPANET

consisted of individual packet switching computers

interconnected by leased lines. Protocols used include

FTP and telnet. It has now been replaced by NSFnet.