ECEN 5002 - Data Networks: Course Description

Peter Mathys, Fall 1997

• Class: MWF 1-1:50 pm, ECCS 1B28
• Call #: 14928 (Register for Section 002!)
• Instructor: Peter Mathys, ECOT 334, (303) 492-7733, mathys@colorado.edu
• Office Hours: MWF 11-1, and by appointment.

• Text: Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, 3'rd ed., Prentice Hall, 1996, ISBN 0-13-349945-6.

• Prerequisites:
  • ECEN 3310 (Linear Systems)
  • ECEN 3810 (Probability Theory)
  or equivalents.

• Description: Literally, this course is the "inside" story of computer networks. It explores the theory and practice of what makes the Internet, the World-Wide Web, and multimedia intranets possible.
  

  Data networks evolved from academic curiosities, mostly in the form of the ARPANET in the 1970's and early 1980's, to university and large business networks in the late 1980's, and, more recently, to the Internet and WWW which are now used by millions of people worldwide. It is impossible to treat a network of such gigantic dimensions as the Internet on purely theoretical grounds. In fact, much of the knowledge of how to design, adapt, and maintain data networks is based on practical experience. Recognizing this, a major goal of this course is to explore the current state of the art of data and telecommunication networks, and to point out where theoretical knowledge is applicable and where it is not.

• Course Coverage:
  1. Introduction
  2. Physical Layer
  • Transmission Media
  • Telephone System
  • Wireless
  • ISDN, ATM
  3. Data Link Layer
  • Framing
  • Error Control
  • Data Link Protocols
  • Protocol Specification/Verification
  • SLIP/PPP
  4. Medium Access Sublayer
  • Multiple Access Protocols
  • IEEE 802.x Standards
  • Bridges
  • High Speed LANs
  • Satellite Networks
  5. Network Layer
  • Routing Algorithms
  • Congestion Control
  • Internetworking
  • IP
  6. Transport Layer
  • Flow Control
  • TCP, UDP
  • Performance
  7. Application Layer
  • Domain Name System (DNS)
  • SNMP
  • E-mail
  • Usenet News
  • WWW
  • Multimedia

• Computer Usage: Access to the Internet and the WWW is highly desirable. Some homeworks will need the ability to compute and display graphs and to run (relatively simple) software simulations. Software packages like Matlab, Mathematica or MathCad will work fine for this.

• Course Requirements:
  1. Homework (~20%): Approximately weekly, usually handed out on Wed. and due the following Wed. A few of the homeworks may take on the form of mini-projects and use computer simulations. Note: One problem (selected at random) will be graded per homework.
  2. Two midterm exams (~25%): Wed. Oct. 1, and Wed. Nov. 5.
  3. Final exam (~30%): Thu. Dec. 18, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm.

• Goal: Starting from the knowledge of what the components are from which physical networks are made, and from a description of the applications that can be run on data networks, the course teaches what layers are needed and what is commonly used to bridge the gap between hardware at the bottom level and application software at the top level.