TA
Arsalan Tavakoli
Office Hours: 236D (unless otherwise posted on website), Tuesday 3:30-5:30pm

Textbook
Computer Networks, A Systems Approach
3nd. Edition
Larry L. Peterson and Bruce S. Davie
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
Copyright 2003

Lecture Times
Tuesday and Thursday 12:30pm-1:45pm, OLS 120

Description
Computer networks, the technology that powers today's dramatic explosion of the Internet, have significantly changed the way people communicate. While some architectural features of modern networks have not changed much since the early days of networking, the protocols that decide how to share the communication medium, how to encode each message, how to route it to the right recepient, and how to recover from failures have become much more powerful, flexible, and versatile. In this course we shall cover some of the technologies, protocols, and underlying concepts that make modern computer networks the success they are today. By the end of the semester you should be able to define, distinguish, understand, and apply concepts covered under the follwoing topics:

• Network Architecture and Layering
• Link Layer Protocols
• LANs and Wireless
• Network Layer Issues: Routing and Switching
• The TCP/IP Protocol Suite
• ATM Concepts
• Congestion Control
• Network Applications and WWW

Coursework and grading
The course will involve 8 homeworks and 3 non-cumulative exams that encourage you to analyze and evaluate technology and concepts covered under the above topics. A group project will be required to help you synthesize ideas presented in the course into original new network services, protocols, architectures, or tools. Grades will be assigned as follows:

• Homeworks: Top six homework grades collectively account for 15% of the total grade. You must work on homeworks by yourself.
• Exams: Open-book exams will be held in class on Thursday Oct 7th, Tuesday November 9th, and Thursday December 9th. Each accounts for 20% of the total grade.
• Class Project: A group project of 3-5 people on a network or communication related topic. Accounts for 15% of the total grade.
• Class Participation: Accounts for 10%. Includes pop quizzes.

Objectives

• 1. The student should be able to define, distinguish, understand, and apply networking concepts related to Network Architecture and Layering, Link Layer Protocols, LANs and Wireless, Routing and Switching, The TCP/IP Protocol Suite, Congestion Control, Network Applications, and WWW.
• 2. The student should be able to synthesize ideas presented in the course into original new network services, protocols, architectures, or tools.