Textbooks

There is one official text for the course:

  • Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, 5th edition, by Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie. (The 4th edition is also good)

Programming Help

Grading

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

  • 45% Programs (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).

Tentative Schedule

Date Topics Notes Readings
Thu 09/05 L1 - Intro + History
[pdf]
Snowcast out 1.1-1.3
Sat 09/07 Snowcast/C Helpsession
All listed in 'Programming Help'
Tue 09/10 L2 - Overview & Layering
[pdf]
1.4, 1.5
Thu 09/12 L3 - Physical Layer
[pdf]
Snowcast milestone 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
Tue 09/17 L4 - Link Layer
[pdf]
2.3,2.4,2.5
Thu 09/19 L5 - MAC: Ethernet, Token Ring
[pdf]
Snowcast due (11:59pm); HW1 out 2.6, Slides
Tue 09/24 L6 - LAN: Switching & Bridging
[pdf]
3.1
Thu 09/26 L7 - IP Intro
[pdf]
HW1 due (4pm); IP Assignment out (5th) 3.2, (4th) 4.1.1-4.1.7, 4.3.1-4.3.2
Tue 10/01 L8 - IP Continue & Routing
[pdf]
Thu 10/03 L9 - Intra-domain routing
(5th) 3.3, (4th) 4.2
Fri 10/04
IP milestone
Tue 10/08 L10 - Inter-domain routing (BGP)
[pdf]
HW2 out (5th) 4.1, (4th) 4.3
Thu 10/10 L11 - Network Layer - more
[pdf]
(5th) 4.1.3, 4.2, 4.4.2 (4th) 4.3.5, 4.4, 4.2.5
Fri 10/11
IP due (11:59pm); TCP out
Tue 10/15 No Class
HW2 due (4pm) Work on TCP study to exam
Thu 10/17 Midterm
Up to material covered on 10/10
Tue 10/22 L12 - Transport Layer I
[pdf]
UDP and TCP intro. 5.1, 5.2.1-5.2.3
Thu 10/24 L13 - Transport Layer II
[pdf]
5.2.4-5.2.8; 6.3
Fri 10/25
TCP milestone I
Tue 10/29 L14 - Congestion Control
[pdf]
RTT estimation, RED, Cheating TCP 6.4
Thu 10/31 L15 - Application Layer - Intro
[pdf]
9.1
Sat 11/02 TCP Helpsession (Time TBD)
Tue 11/05 L16 - Web & HTTP
[pdf]
9.1.2
Thu 11/07 L17 - E-mail
[pdf]
HW3 out 9.1.1
Fri 11/08
TCP milestone II
Tue 11/12 L18 - DNS & DHT
[pdf]
(5th) 9.3.1, (4th) 9.1.3
Tue 11/12 L18 - DHT slides
[pdf]
Thu 11/14 L19 - CDN and P2P
[pdf]
9.4
Fri 11/15
HW3 due (4pm)
Tue 11/19 L20 - Wireless
[pdf]
(5th) 2.7,2.7.1, (4th) 2.8, 2.8.2
Thu 11/21 L21 - Wireless and Mobility cont.
[pdf]
(5th) 2.7,2.7.1, (4th) 2.8, 2.8.2
Fri 11/22
TCP due (11pm). Final project out
Tue 11/26 L22 - Security
[pdf]
8.1, 8.2, 8.4.3
Thu 11/28 No class
Thanksgiving
Tue 12/03 L23 - SDN
[pdf]
Slides
Thu 12/05 L24 - Wrap-up
[pdf]
Sat 12/07
Final project due
Sun 12/08
Start Reading Period
Tue 12/17 Final Exam
2:00pm CIT 227 Everything presented in class is fair game. More emphasis on material after midterm.