LATEST NETWORK MAPS
Early ARPANET maps showing geographic and logical network layout
Walden, D., "LATEST NETWORK MAPS", RFC 616, DOI 10.17487/RFC0616, February 1973, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc616>.
@misc{rfc616,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 616,
howpublished = {RFC 616},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0616},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc616},
author = {D. Walden},
title = {{LATEST NETWORK MAPS}},
pagetotal = 1,
year = 1973,
month = feb,
} RFC text
This text was converted from the RFC Editor's PDF edition and may contain conversion errors; the layout is approximate. The PDF is the reference copy.
Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.
NWG/RFC # 616 ~D. Walden
BBN-NET
NIC # 21532 ] 11 February 1973
LATEST NETWORK MAPS
RECEIVED AT NIC FEBRUARY 13, 1974.
ARPA NETWORK, GEOGRAPHIC MAP, JANUARY 1974
LINCOLN
MIT-{PC
MIT-MAC
ARPA NETWORK, LOGICAL MAP, JANUARY 1974
MOFFETT
HAWALIl -
STANFORD
- (POP-10)—§
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Introduction
RFC 616 presents the latest ARPANET maps as of January 1974. It consists of two maps: a geographic map showing the physical locations of ARPANET nodes across the United States, and a logical map showing how those nodes are interconnected.
The original RFC was a document containing two one-page illustrations. These maps provided network operators and researchers with a visual reference for understanding the ARPANET's topology at a specific point in time.
The RFC is just two pictures: one that shows where each computer was, and one that shows which computers were plugged into each other.
§2Maps from January 1974
The geographic map displayed the network nodes' physical locations, helping operators understand which institutions were connected to the ARPANET and where they were distributed. The logical map showed the communication paths, revealing how data could flow between nodes through the network's hardware connections.
Major sites included MIT, Stanford, Lincoln Laboratory, and others participating in the early network research effort.
The maps showed which universities and research centers were on the network, and which ones could send messages to which other ones.
§3Historical Significance
These maps captured the ARPANET's state in early 1974, five years after the network's initial deployment. They serve as a historical record of the network's growth and evolution during its formative years.
This shows what the early internet looked like when it was just getting started.