600.344/444: Computer Network Fundamentals

Spring Term 2002

Christian Scheideler

Course Structure

Lectures: MTW 11, Shaffer 301

Topics

Topics covered will be computer networks and the Internet, application layer protocols (e.g. HTTP, FTP, and DNS), transport layer protocols (UDP, TCP), network layer and routing (e.g. link state and distance vector protocols, multicast routing), link layer and local area networks (e.g. Ethernet and IEEE 802.11 LANs), multimedia networking (e.g. RTSP and RSVP), and security in computer networks. [Systems] Prereq: 600.333/433 or permission.

Grading

1/3: assignments
1/3: mid-term exam
1/3: final exam

Syllabus

The lecture will follow the book "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet" by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross, Addison Wesley, 2001. ISBN: 0-201-47711-4. Further information can be found here.

Jan 28-30: Chapter 1a
Feb 4-6: Chapter 1b
Feb 11-13: Chapter 2a
Feb 18-20: Chapter 2b
Feb 25-27: Chapter 3a
Mar 4-6: Chapter 3b
Mar 11-12: Chapter 4a
Mar 13: Midterm exam in Remsen 1 (instead of Sh301)
Mar 18-20: Spring Vacation
Mar 25-27: Chapter 4a
Apr 1-3: Chapter 4b
Apr 8-10: Chapter 5a (with information on CRC codes)
Apr 15-17: Chapter 5b
Apr 22-24: Chapter 5c and 6a
Apr 29-30: Chapter 6b
May 1: Final exam in Remsen 1

The final exam has been corrected. If you want to pick up your exam, please come to my office till Thursday, May 9.

Assignments

Assignment 1 in postscript and pdf format (due Feb 6)
Assignment 2 in postscript and pdf format (due Feb 13)
Assignment 3 in postscript and pdf format (due Feb 20)
Assignment 4 in postscript and pdf format (due Feb 27)
Assignment 5 in postscript and pdf format (due Mar 6)
Assignment 6 in postscript and pdf format (due Mar 27)
The midterm exam in postscript and pdf format and its solutions in postscript and pdf format.
Assignment 7 in postscript and pdf format (due Apr 3)
Assignment 8 in postscript and pdf format (due Apr 10)
Assignment 9 in postscript and pdf format (due Apr 17)
Assignment 10 in postscript and pdf format (due Apr 24)

At most two people are allowed to work together on an assignment, but there has to be a separate submission for each person. Please indicate on your submission with whom you collaborated to solve the assignment (if any). Also, please write your name and the course (344 or 444) for which you registered clearly on your submission. Solutions must be submitted till Wednesday, 11 am, in the wooden box no. 4 on the opposite side of the administration office (NEB 224). The corrected submissions can be found the following Wednesday on top of box 4.

Useful Programs

A Sniffer and slightly improved XSniffer in Java to check out how your application layer protocols work.
A TCP Client and TCP Server demonstration in Java.
A UDP Client and UDP Server demonstration in Java.
An FTP Server in Java.
More to come soon...

Office Hours

In case you have questions or complaints...

Christian Scheideler: M 2-4, NEB 038
Arun: T 3-4, NEB 225
Cher: T 2-3, NEB B16
Jalal: T 2-3, NEB 225
Kishore: W 3-4, NEB 225
Lauren: M 12-1, NEB 225
Mike: Fr 1-2, NEB 225

Literature about Java

AWL companion web site of Computer Networking book by Kurose and Ross.
The Java Tutorial. Sun Microsystems.
A collection of basic methods for Java network programming.
Kenneth L. Calvert and Michael J. Donahoo. TCI/IP Sockets in Java: Practical Guide for Programmers. MK Publishers (price: ~$15). Some online material for this book can be found here.
Elliotte Rusty Harold. Java Network Programming. 1997.
Merlin Hughes, Michael Shoffner, and Derek Hamner. Java Network Programming, 2nd Edition. Manning Publications, 1999.
Java Network Programming FAQ

Literature about Networking

D. Bertsekas and R. Gallagher. Data Networks, 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1991.
S. Bradner and A. Mankin. IPng: Internet Protocol Next Generation. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1996.
W.R. Cheswick and S/M/ Bellovin. Firewalls and Internet Security. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1994.
T. Corman, C. Leiserson, and R. Rivest. Introduction to Algorithms. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990.
J. Crowcroft, M. Handley, and I. Wakeman. Internetworking Multimedia. Morgan-Kaufman, San Francisco, CA, 1999.
J.F. Kurose and K.W. Ross. Computer Networking. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 2001.
R. Perlman. Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches, and Internetworking Protocols, 2nd Ed. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1999.
W.R. Stevens. TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1: The Protocols. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1999.
M. Subramanian. Network Management: Principles and Practice. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1999.

Christian Scheideler

Last modified: Wed Dec 12 2001