Textbooks

You can follow the content of the course using either one of two books:

  • Computer Networks: A Systems Approach (6th edition), by Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie.
  • Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (6th edition), by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross
We will indicate besides each lecture below which sections of Peterson correspond to the lecture.

Programming Help

Grading

Your final grade for the course will be based on the following weights:

  • 45% Programing Projects (4)
    • 5% Snowcast, 10% IP, 25% TCP, 5% Final Project
  • 15% Homeworks (3)
  • 15% Midterm Exam
  • 25% Final Exam

The three written homework assignments will all be done individually. The first program, Snowcast, will also be done individually, while the remaining programs will be completed in groups of two (2).

Schedule

Date Topics Notes Readings
Thu 09/04 L1 - Intro
[pdf] [pptx]
Snowcast out 1.1-1.3
Tue 09/09 L2 - Layering
[pdf] [pptx]
1.4, 1.5
Thu 09/11 L3 - Physical Layer
[pdf] [pptx]
Snowcast milestone 2.1, 2.3
Tue 09/16 L4 - Link Layer
[pdf] [pptx]
2.4,2.5
Thu 09/18 L5 - Switching
[pdf] [pptx]
Snowcast due (11:59pm); HW1 out 2.6,3.1
Tue 09/23 L6 - Link Layer Wrap-up
Use the slides from lecture 05 3.1 (cont)
Thu 09/25 L7 - IP Intro
[pdf] [pptx]
HW1 due (11:59pm); IP Assignment out 4.1.1-4.1.7, 4.3.1-4.3.2
Tue 09/30 L8 - IP Continued
[pdf] [pptx]
4.2
Thu 10/02 L9 - Intra-domain routing
IP Milestone. Use slides from lecture 08 4.3.3
Tue 10/07 No Class
Rodrigo out for a conference
Thu 10/09 L10 - Inter-domain routing 1 (Intro to BGP)
[pdf] [pptx]
HW2 out 4.3.3
Tue 10/14 L11 - Inter-domain routing 2 (Policy and Security)
[pdf] [pptx]
4.3.3, but goes beyond book. BGP Wedgies are described in RFC 4264
Thu 10/16 L12 - Network Layer Wrap-up
[pdf] [pptx]
4.1.7 (ICMP), 4.3.5 (IPv6), 4.4.1 (Multicast)
Fri 10/17
HW2 due (11:59pm)
Mon 10/20
TCP out
Tue 10/21 Midterm
Up to material covered on 10/16.
Thu 10/23 L13 - Transport Layer I
[pdf] [pptx]
UDP and TCP intro. 5.1, 5.2.1-5.2.3
Tue 10/28 L14 - Transport Layer II
[pdf] [pptx]
5.2.4-5.2.8; 6.3
Thu 10/30 L15 - Fun with Congestion Control
[pdf] [pptx]
HW3 Out 6.4.3. Some content not in book.
Sat 11/01
TCP milestone I
Tue 11/04 L16 - Transport Layer Wrapup
Thu 11/06 L17 - DNS
[pdf] [pptx]
9.1.3
Tue 11/11 L18 - Web
[pdf] [pptx]
HW3 due 9.12
Sat 11/08
TCP milesonte II
Thu 11/13 L19 - CDN and P2P
[pdf] [pptx]
9.4-9.4.3
Tue 11/18 L20 - Data / RPC
[pdf] [pptx]
How to write your own application-level protocol. 5.3
Thu 11/20 L21 - Wireless
[pdf] [pptx]
2.8 (intro), 2.8.2
Tue 11/25 L22 - Security
[pdf] [pptx]
8.1, 8.2, 8.4.3
Thu 11/27 No class
Thanksgiving
Mon 12/01
Final Project Out
Tue 12/02 L23 - SDNs
[pdf] [pptx]
Thu 12/04 L23 - Wrap-up
[pdf] [pptx]
Sun 12/07
Start Reading Period
Thu 12/11
Final project due
Sat 12/20 Final Exam, 2 pm
Everything presented in class is fair game. More emphasis on material after midterm.