ARPANET was the first network to use packet switching and TCP/IP protocols, which became the foundation of the Internet. Learn about its origins, development, features, and legacy from this comprehensive article. ARPANET stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency NET. ARPANET was the first network that consisted of distributed control. It was the first to implement TCP/IP protocols. It was basically the beginning of the Internet with the use of these technologies. ARPANET was created to make it easier for people to access computers, improve computer equipment, and to have a more effective communication method for the military. The foundation of the current internet started taking shape in 1969 with the activation of the four-node network, known as ARPANET, and matured over two decades until ARPANET was deactivated as it became subsumed by the much more extensive network of networks, that is, the internet.