History Of Our Campus Network
The Computer Centre was established on November 17, 1973 to meet the demands of the Institute for computational facilities.
In 1993, the institute initiated plans to develop an institute-wide extended Ethernet network by repurposing existing terminal and telephone cables across various departments. The Local Area Network (LAN) followed a star topology, with ACCESS/ONE UNGERANN BASS products serving as the central hubs for the cabling layout.
As a first step, in 1993 the Department of Aerospace Engineering was connected to the Internet by installing a CISCO router and external modems, leveraging existing terminal/telephone cabling to establish the initial node of the institute-wide extended Ethernet network.
The phasing out of the Siemens system and the availability of PCs at relatively affordable prices led to several departments having local area networks (LANs) connecting the PCs and other computers within the building. The first inter-building connection was set up in 1994.
Under the ERNET (Education and Research Network) project initiated by the Department of Electronics, Government of India in 1987, a Local Area Network (LAN) was established at the institute, initially covering the Computer Sciences Block and the Building Sciences Block.
In 1995, the Computer Centre formally established the campus network. The first backbone link was created using remote Ethernet bridge technology developed in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras. This initial link connected the Computer Centre to the Aerospace Engineering building at a speed of 144 kbps. This home-grown bridging technology was later extended to other buildings, allowing the campus network to grow rapidly.
By May 1995, internet connectivity was extended to additional departments—Mechanical Engineering & Machine Tools (M.E & M.H), Chemistry, the Library, and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)—using CISCO routers and modems. To support this expansion, ten CISCO 2501 routers, each equipped with two serial ports and one AUI port, were procured. These routers facilitated connectivity via the existing serial cable infrastructure. At this stage, the Aerospace Engineering, M.E & M.H, Library, Chemistry, and NIOT departments were successfully networked.
By the end of 1995, the campus network included LANs in 18 buildings, all connected to the central node at the Computer Centre. The network evolved significantly over this period—from basic terminal-based twisted pair cabling to a more robust infrastructure that laid the foundation for a future ATM-based high-speed backbone.
In 1996, a 64 kbps radio connectivity link was established to VSNL, providing improved external internet access. Internally, connectivity was extended to the Administration Building, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, M.E & M.H, Metrology, and Ocean Engineering departments using existing serial lines and Remote Ether switches operating at 144 kbps. During the same period, the Computer Centre’s internal networking was reorganized and strengthened through the installation of new hubs and structured cabling, enhancing performance and reliability.
By 1997, the Computer Centre provided comprehensive campus-wide network connectivity, linking all academic departments and facilities. The VSNL 64 kbps radio link was used to offer centralized Internet access to the entire institute, marking the first time the campus had unified, internet-enabled networking infrastructure.
In 1998, further progress was made toward implementing a campus-wide high-speed ATM backbone. The backbone was designed to operate at 622 Mbps, with each building connected via a 155 Mbps ATM uplink. Fibre optic cables were laid to connect the buildings, while enhanced UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cabling was installed within buildings for internal distribution, ensuring improved performance and scalability across the entire network.
About 15 buildings were connected using Remote bridges in the campus network. This network provides access to machines in Computer Centre and Internet.
In 1999 Computer Centre provided a Campus network connecting all the department and Internet facility using VSNL 64Kpbs radio link, an ATM based high-speed backbone for the campus has been implemented. Fiber cable is used to connect buildings and enhanced UTP cable for general networking of each building. The backbone is 622 Mbps and each building is connected to the backbone by 155 Mbps ATM uplink. Work is underway to extend this network to cover the hostel sector. There are also plans to upgrade the 64 Kbps external connectivity to 512 Kbps.
The ATM based backbone network connecting all the buildings has been implemented by the Computer Centre. Mostly, the existing conduits laid for running the Siemens systems cables have been used for installation of the fiber optic cable. The three nodal points for the backbone are Computer Centre, Hydraulics Lab and RSIC. The ATM small switches are placed in R&AC, MES and administration buildings. The edge devices are placed in optimal locations in each one of the buildings, so that any next level switch can be reached within the UTP CAT5 cable length limitation of 100 meters. Buildings are large speed (BSB, HSB, Workshop Lab complex) have been provided with multiple fibre drops to enable full coverage. In each one of the buildings, the local network is implemented based on a structured design for scalability using enhanced CAT5 UTP cable. To implement the campus network, 3 ATM (622 Mbps) backbone switches, 3 ATM (155 Mbps) small switches, 25 edge devices with ATM (155 Mbps) uplink, 80 Ethernet switches, 7 kimoleters UTP components are used. The network provides about 200 ports at the 100 Mbps (lab/server) level and about 1500 ports at the 10 Mbps (desktop) level.
Computer Centre provides Campus network connecting all the departments and Internet facility during 2000. The Campus network is an ATM based High-speed backbone and the internet facility is provided by VSNL 64Kbps radio link. Fiber cable is used to connect buildings and enhanced UTP cable for general networking of each building. The backbone is 622 Mpbs and each building is connected to a backbone by 155 Mbps ATM uplink. This network has been extended to cover the hostel sector. A dedicated 2 Mbps BSNL link for Internet connectivity besides the 64 Kbps link to VSNL has been established. Steps are being initiated to have 34 Mbps fibre link to BSNL exchange at IIT Madras for future Internet access requirement.
All the hostels are connected to the backbone by fibre cable during 2002. Provision for 10 access network points in each one of the hostel have been implemented. Cable implementation for the network connectivity for rooms in all the hostels have been completed.
All the hostels were connected to the backbone by fibre cable in 2003. Provision for 10 access network points in each one of the hostels have been implemented. Cable implementation for the network connectivity for rooms in all the hostels were completed. The installation of network switches in three hostels (Sharavathi, Cauvery and Krishna) has been completed by M/s. ERNET (India) under the supervision of the Computer Centre. The access to intra and internet has been provided in these 3 hostels. Steps are being initiated to enable 6 Mbps internet bandwidth.
The intranet IP addresses are being revised to 10.xx.xx.xx in place of 144.16.xx xx., throughout the Institute.
In 2004 the internet connectivity of 5x2 Mbps is being upgraded. The network of the campus has four parts: a Central Core running at the speed of 10 Gigabits per second, and three zones - Academic, Hostel and Residential. The spread of nodes in the last count was about 2000, 4000 and 1050 respectively.
The institute enhanced its internet infrastructure by upgrading the external bandwidth to 32 Mbps during 2005, reflecting the growing demand for faster and more reliable connectivity across academic and research activities. This trend continued in 2006, with a further upgrade to 45 Mbps, enabling improved access to online resources, smoother communication, and better support for collaborative projects and digital learning environments.
In 2007 the number of nodes in the campus is more than 6000. The network equipments in the academic zone are being upgraded to provide 1 Gbps and 10/100 Mbps connectivity to the nodes. All the fiber switches were replaced in all the buildings in the academic zone were provided with dual fiber connectivity. The internet bandwidth started with 64Kbps and increased to 45Mbps.
In 2012, the hostel network underwent a significant architectural transformation. A Layer 3 (L3) setup was implemented, with the core acting as the gateway for all departmental VLANs. This resulted in high resource allocation and bandwidth consumption for local campus traffic. To mitigate this, traffic between specific hostel blocks— Tamiraparani, Jamuna, and Cauvery—was localized through fibre interconnection, eliminating the need to route data through the Computer Centre’s core.
The total number of nodes in the campus is approximately 15,000 in 2013. Video conferencing is also facilitated as a network service. The Networks vertical also oversees the procurement of external network services as well as installation and maintenance of cabling across the IIT Madras campus. Building-wise VLAN segmentation completed for all the buildings in the Academic and Hostel zones. Residential Zone segmented into three VLANs. Network support provided for web telecasting of Institute Convocation through Chennai online.
Tata Communications Internet bandwidth upgraded from 45 Mbps to 200 Mbps 1:1.
In 2014, the total number of nodes in the campus is approximately 18,000. Supported Wi-Fi connectivity in Classroom Complex for online test of Placement Cell. Enabled the cell to conduct tests for more than 500 candidates simultaneously in one building. Implemented 2000 Mbps 1:1 Internet bandwidth from NKN and 200 Mbps 1:1 Internet bandwidth from Tata Communications
Proxy-less access with LDAP authentication has been implemented for the Academic, Hostel and Residential zones.
A fibre-backbone high-speed network for all the buildings in the Academic Zone as well as the residential quarters and all hostels in 2015. The total available bandwidth is about 2 Gbps from the National Knowledge Network and an additional 200 Mbps 1:1 Internet bandwidth from Tata Communications. The network equipment in the Academic Zone was upgraded to provide 100/1000 Mbps connectivity to the nodes. All the buildings in the Academic Zone are provided with dual fibre connectivity. Facilitation for video conferencing is also provided under the network service.
Upgraded the Internet bandwidth from 2 Gbps to 10 Gbps through NKN. The fiber-backbone high-speed network (10 Gbps), connectivity for all the buildings in the Academic Zone. In addition, a backbone inter-connecting the three zones (Academic Zone, Hostel Zone and Residential Zone) is also operational. The total number of nodes in the campus is approximately 20,000.
The total number of nodes in the campus is approximately 20,000 in 2017. Implementation Wi-Fi in Class Room complex, Raman and Ramanujam Blocks, FFT (Food for Thought canteen), Zaitoon canteen, BEGH and Taramani guest houses.
Implementation of Eduroam for IIT Madras users, including students, Students visiting other universities can get internet connectivity by connecting through Eduroam SSID with our LDAP credentials. Similarly, visiting academics or researchers or students from India or abroad, with their university/ institutions/research laboratory with Eduroam facility, can get Internet access in the campus with their institute credentials.
In addition, a backbone inter-connecting the three zones (Academic Zone, Hostel Zone and Residential Zone) is also operational. The total number of nodes in the campus is approximately 25,000. The network equipment in the Academic Zone was upgraded to provide 100/1000 Mbps connectivity to the nodes. All the buildings in the Academic Zone are provided with dual fiber connectivity.
Implemented GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) during 2019, the Residential Zone, enabling high-speed fibre connectivity in homes.
In 2025, the IIT Madras campus boasts a fibre-backbone high-speed network with 10 Gbps connectivity in the Academic Zone. A fully operational backbone links the Academic, Hostel, and Residential Zones. The network now supports approximately 30,000 wired nodes distributed across departments, hostels, residences, and shared facilities. All buildings in the Academic Zone are equipped with dual fibre links, with switches supporting 1 Gbps to the nodes. Wi-Fi connectivity is widely implemented in the Academic Zone and in common areas of the Hostel Zone. The Residential Zone is fully covered with GPON connections.
Facilities for video conferencing, virtual classrooms, webcasting of major events, Eduroam, and VPN are all integral to the campus IT ecosystem. Network services are overseen by the Computer Centre, which manages the design, installation, administration, and support for all cabling and switches. Support is provided via the official portal https://cc.iitm.ac.in
The backbone provides connectivity to 18 academic departments, over 40 buildings, 21 hostels, and around 1,077 GPON-connected residences. 1,787 access points have been installed across academic areas, hostels, and open spaces in the campus to enhance wireless coverage, with expansion efforts ongoing.
The campus supports more than 31,000 user accounts, with internet bandwidth maintained at 10 Gbps via NKN and 200 Mbps via Tata Communications, managed through BGP routing. The campus also maintains 510 Class A IPv4 public addresses acquired from APNIC.