TDC 460
Foundations of Network Technologies
Autumn 2010
Instructor: Dr. C.M. White
Loop office: 715 CST
Loop phone: (312) 362-5175
Web page: http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/cwhite
Office hours: Monday 4:45 – 5:45
Course Breakdown:
Two exams 25% each (non-cumulative)
Homework 40% (approx. one per week)
Labs 10% (2 or 3)
Assignments may be handed in electronically if desired. Assignments are due at the beginning of class and will lose 10% after that time. All assignments will be graded and returned one class period from the day it was due. Late homework assignments will not be accepted after that point! You will NOT be allowed to make up old homework. There is no extra credit in this course, so please complete your homework assignments on time!
You may send the homework as an email or as an email attachment in text, Word, WordPerfect, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. format. Please be sure that the file name ends with the appropriate type. For example, Word files end with .doc. (Please do not use COL to submit your homework.) Shortly after receipt of the e-mailed homework, I will respond with an email acknowledgment. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within 24 hours (48 on the weekend), you may have to resend. Our email system records every email received, sent, and deleted. This feature will help should an assignment come up missing. As a safety precaution, it is usually a good idea to also print a hardcopy of all assignments in case everything else fails. If possible, do not send zipped files.
Textbook: None; but a good Cisco site: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/internetworking/technology/handbook/ito_doc.html
Another good choice is Forouzan’s Data Communications and Networking
Prerequisites: TDC 261 (formerly TDC 361) or equivalent recommended
Grading Scale:
92 - 100 A
90 - 91 A-
88 - 89 B+
82 - 87 B
80 - 81 B-
78 - 79 C+
72 - 77 C
70 - 71 C-
68 - 69 D+
62 - 67 D
60 - 61 D-
0 - 59 F
Objectives of course:
· To examine in more detail the various architectural models
· Be able to identify the characteristics and protocol features of wired and wireless Ethernet and Metro Ethernet
· Be able to create a virtual LAN and fault tolerant LAN
· Be able to list the characteristics and features of storage area networks
· Be able to identify the primary characteristics of T-1, frame relay, ATM, SONET, and PPP
· Be able to list the characteristics of optical networking
· Be able to identify the services and applications of various optical network technologies
Tentative outline:
Week Topics
1 Models: OSI, TCP/IP
Introduction to LANs
2 Intro to LANs continued
Advanced Ethernet technologies
3 Advanced Ethernet technologies continued
4 Wireless networks
5 Midterm exam
6 Classic networks (multiplexing, leased line service, PPP)
7 Packet switched networks (X.25, frame relay, ATM)
8 Storage area networks
9 Optical network technology
10 Passive optical networks (SONET/SDH, DWDM)
11 Final exam
Incomplete Grades
Grades of Incomplete are given only in cases of medical emergency or other highly unusual emergency situations. Please note that University guidelines require that you must be earning a passing grade at the time you request an incomplete grade. You should have completed most of the course, with at most one or two major forms of evaluation missing. Incompletes revert to an F if they are not resolved within one quarter. If such a situation should occur, please inform me as soon as possible.
Class Attendance
While attendance will not be a percentage of your final grade, your attendance will be monitored every class period.
Academic Integrity
Violations of academic integrity, particularly plagiarism, are not tolerated. Plagiarism is defined by the university as:
“..a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:
a. The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else's.
b. Copying of any source in whole or part with only minor changes in wording or syntax, even with acknowledgement.
c. Submitting as one's own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency.
d. The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement.
Plagiarism, like other forms of academic dishonesty, is always a serious matter. If an instructor finds that a student has plagiarized, the appropriate penalty is at the instructor's discretion. Actions taken by the instructor do not preclude the college or the university from taking further punitive action including dismissal from the university” (DePaul Student Handbook).
University policies on academic integrity will be strictly adhered to. Consult the DePaul University Student Handbook for further details.
As a courtesy to the other students and the instructor: If you must keep your cell phone on, please turn the ringer off and set the phone on vibrate mode. Please limit your entering and leaving while a lecture is in progress.
Please keep an eye on the class web page (http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/cwhite) for the latest updates and information about this course.
All of the slides used during lecture are available on the course web site. A hard copy of the first lecture will be handed out in class. All future hard copies are your responsibility. To print them, I suggest printing three slides to a page (to save paper). To do this in PowerPoint, click on File / Print / Print what: Handouts / Slides per page: 3. You may also want to white out the background using Format / Background / change the color to white / Apply to All.