Trinity College • Dept. of Computer Science
CPSC-333 Computer Networks Spr 2015 Mon/Wed 1:15 – 2:30 pm
Instructor: Roger H. Brown Email:
Office Location: 157 MEC Voice:
Office Hours: Mon / Wed 2:30 – 3:30 pm FAX:
Course WebPage: http://moodle.trincoll.edu/course/view.php?id=8008
Course Description:
A first course in computer communications which introduces the problems, solutions, and limitations associated with interconnecting computers by communication networks (LAN or WAN ). The seven layer ISO Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model serves as a framework for the course with major emphasis on the physical layer standards, data link protocols, network and transportation layer protocols. Topics include: modems, baseband and broadband communications, HDLC, Ethernet and wireless LANs, cell and frame relay networks, bridges, routers, services of the upper layers (Session, Presentation, Application), and network security.
Course Objectives:
At the end of the course the student will understand:
• Seven layer ISO Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model
• interconnecting computers by communication networks (LAN or WAN ).
• Physical communication media: twisted pair and fiber optics
• Data Link Layer protocols: error control, CRC
• Data Link Layer utilization and efficiency
• Ethernet LAN protocol and Ethernet Switches
• Network Layer IPv4 Protocol
• Network addressing and routing
• Host to Host communications and flow control.
• Transport Layer TCP Protocol
• Privacy and authentication
• Basics of Session, Presentation, and Application Layer Protocols
Text: Stallings, William
Data and Computer Communications, 10th Edition
Prentice Hall, 2013, ISBN-10: 0133506487 • ISBN-13: 9780133506488©2014
http://williamstallings.com/DataComm/
Lecture Date Topic Reading Assignment
1 1/21 Introduction to Computer Networks Chapters 1 & 2
OSI Reference Model: A Layered Approach
Intro to TCP/IP Protocol Suite
2 1/26 Transmission Media Chapters 4
UTP, STP, Coax, fiber, Wireless
Noise and Attenuation (Decibels)
3 1/28 Digital Signaling Chapters 5
Digital Encoding
NRZ, NRZI, AMI, 4B5B, 8B10B, 8B6T
Character and Bit Synchronization
Lecture Date Topic Reading Assignmen
4 2/2 Analog Signaling Chapters 5
Signal Modulation, Modems
Bandwidth Requirements:
Nyquist and Shannon Limits, Fourier Analysis
4 2/4 Layer 2 and Frame Format Chapters 5 & 6 Bit and Frame Synchronization
Error Detection and CRC Polynomial Codes
3 2/9 Data Link Control Protocols (Part 1) Chapter 6 & 7
Error Detection and CRC Polynomial Codes
Stop & Wait, Sliding Window ARQ
4 2/11 Data Link Control Protocols (Part 2) Chapter 6 & 7
Go-back-N, Selective Reject
High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC)
5 2/16 Multiplexing and Data Switching Chapter 8
Frequency and Time Division Multiplexing
ADSL, xDSL, Cable Modems
5 2/18 Packet Switching Chapter 8, 10 & 11
Packet Switching Principles
Virtual Circuits and Datagrams
5 2/23 Digital Switching Chapter 9
Digital Switching Concepts
Frame and Cell Relay
6 2/25 Layer 3 Routing (Part 1) Chapter 19
Bellman-Ford Algorithm
Distance Vector Method
6 3/2 Layer 3 Routing (Part 2) Chapter 19
Dijkstra Algorithm
Link State Method
6 3/4 Review of Previous Lectures, Open Q&A
6 3/9 Mid-Term Exam
7 3/11 Local Area Networks (LAN) Chapter 11 & 12
Topologies, Media, Medium Access Control
MAC Layer, IEEE 802.3, 802.5 Standards
March 15 - 21 Spring Vacation - No classes this week.
8 3/23 Ethernet IEEE 802.3 Chapter 12
8 3/25 Fast and Wireless Ethernet Chapters 12 & 13
8 3/30 Layer 2 Switches & Bridges Chapter 11
8 4/1 Spanning Tree Algorithm Chapter 11 & Appendix J
Flat LAN Design and Virtual LANs
9 4/6 Internetworking Chapter 14
Routing for Packets versus Circuits
Internet IP
9 4/8 Internetworking Chapter 19
Routers, Firewalls and Gateways
10 4/13 Transport Protocols Chapter 15
TCP/IP and TP4/CLNP
10 4/15 Transport Protocols Chapters 15 & 20
TCP Timeout
Host to Host Flow Control
11 4/20 Privacy and Authentication Chapter 26, Appendix Q
11 4/22 IPSec, TLS, http Chapter 27
11 4/27 Network Applications Chapter 24
SMTP, DNS, http
11 4/27 Final Review
May 3 - 9 Final Exam Week
Homework
Homework will normally be assigned each week. Late homework will NOT be graded - no exceptions. You can expect approx. 10 homework sets. Your total homework score will be based on the highest homework scores. I will throw out (forgive) the two lowest scores.
Exams
There will be a mid-term and final exam:
March 9 Mid-Term Exam
Open Text Book (Stallings), your personal notes & handouts (obviously).
Covers all material presented in Lectures 1-12, assigned reading, and
associated handouts.
May 3 - 9 Final Exam
Open Text Book (Stallings), your personal notes & handouts.
Covers all material presented in Lectures 1 - 26 (with more emphasis on
lectures 15 - 29, assigned reading, and associated handouts.
Final Course Grade Determination
The course grade is based on a weighted sum of the computed Z-scores for the homework sets and the mid-term and final exams:
Grade = 20% (Homework Avg.) + 35% (Mid-Term Exam) + 45% (Final Exam)
A Z-score is computed as follows:
Exam Z-score = [(your test score) - (mean or median test score)] / Std. Deviation
Note: A mean score is normally used. However, a median score will be used if there exists
an abnormally high or low score.
Z-scores greater than +1.00 = A+, A, or A-; less than -1.00 = C+, C or C-, D; -1.00 < Z < +1 = B+, B , or B- (at least)
Academic Integrity
Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments which students turn in are their own. Acts, which violate this trust, undermine the educational process.
The Student Handbook defines various forms of Intellectual Honesty or dishonesty and procedures for responding to them. All forms are violations of the trust between students and teachers. Students should familiarize themselves with the Trinity College Student Handbook. http://www.trincoll.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/StudentHandbook.pdf
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