Course Details
Course Information Package
Course Unit Title | COMPUTER NETWORKS I | ||||||||
Course Unit Code | ACOE313 | ||||||||
Course Unit Details | BSc Electrical Engineering (Technical Electives) - BSc Marketing with Digital Technologies (Technical Electives) - | ||||||||
Number of ECTS credits allocated | 6 | ||||||||
Learning Outcomes of the course unit | By the end of the course, the students should be able to:
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Mode of Delivery | Face-to-face | ||||||||
Prerequisites | ACOE161 | Co-requisites | NONE | ||||||
Recommended optional program components | NONE | ||||||||
Course Contents | Computer Networks and the Internet: Impact of networks in daily lives. The role of data networking in the human network. Key components of any data network. Opportunities and challenges posed by converged networks. Characteristics of network architectures: fault tolerance, scalability, quality of service and security. Communicating over the Network: Structure of a network, including the devices and media that are necessary for successful communications. The function of protocols in network communications. Advantages of using a layered model to describe network functionality. The role of each layer in two recognized network models: The TCP/IP model and the OSI model. The importance of addressing and naming schemes in network communications. Application Layer Functionality and Protocols: Use of the Application Layer to communicate across the information network. Functionalities of well-known TCP/IP applications and their related services (HTTP, DNS, SMB, DHCP, SMTP/POP, and Telnet). File-sharing processes, peer-to-peer applications, the Gnutella protocol. OSI Transport Layer: The need for the Transport layer. The role of the Transport layer. TCP/IP Transport layer protocols: TCP and UDP. Key functions of the Transport layer, including reliability, port addressing, and segmentation. How TCP and UDP each handle key functions. Examples of applications that use TCP or UDP protocol. OSI Network Layer: The role of the Network layer. Internet Protocol (IP) and its features for providing connectionless and best-effort service. Principles used to guide the division, or grouping, of devices into networks. Hierarchical addressing of devices. The fundamentals of routes, next-hop addresses, and packet forwarding to a destination network. Addressing the Network – IPv4: The structure of IP addressing. Classification of IPv4 addresses. How addresses are assigned to networks by ISPs and within networks by administrators. The network portion of the host address, and the role of the subnet mask in dividing networks. Calculation of appropriate addressing components, given IPv4 addressing information and design criteria. Common testing utilities to verify and test network connectivity and operational status of the IP protocol stack on a host. Network Address Translation (NAT). Data Link Layer: The role of Data Link layer protocols in data transmission. Different types of media access control methods. Common logical network topologies and their correlation to the media access control method for that network. Encapsulation of packets into frames to facilitate media access. Layer 2 frame structure and its generic fields. The role of key frame header and trailer fields, including addressing, QoS, type of protocol, and Frame Check Sequence. OSI Physical Layer: The role of Physical layer protocols and services in supporting communication across data networks. Physical layer signaling and encoding. The role of signals. The basic characteristics of copper, fiber, and wireless network media, and their common uses. Ethernet: The evolution of Ethernet. The fields of the Ethernet Frame. The function and characteristics of the media access control method used by Ethernet protocol (CSMA/CD). The Physical and Data Link layer features of Ethernet. Ethernet hubs and switches. Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). Planning and Cabling Networks: Basic network media required to make a LAN connection. Types of connections for intermediate and end device connections in a LAN. Pinout configurations for straight-through and crossover cables. Different cabling types, standards, and ports used for WAN connections. The importance of network designs. Configuring and Testing your Network: The role of the Internetwork Operating System (IOS). Purpose of a configuration file. Factors contributing to the set of IOS commands available to a device. IOS modes of operation. Basic IOS commands. Laboratory Work: Introduce students with an understanding of how data is transmitted over the network, and get familiar with the layered-design of network protocols, through laboratory exercises, using computer simulations and/or packet analysis software. | ||||||||
Recommended and/or required reading: | |||||||||
Textbooks |
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References |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods | Students are taught the course through lectures by means of computer presentations. Homework require students to describe, explain, justify, and illustrate the main concepts taught at lectures. Laboratory work consists of computer simulations to design and analyse computer networks. Lecture/Laboratory notes and presentations are available through the web for students to use in combination with the textbooks. | ||||||||
Assessment methods and criteria |
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Language of instruction | English | ||||||||
Work placement(s) | NO |