ECE 478

Fundamentals of Computer Networks

Fall

Required Course:

Course Level

Undergraduate

Units

Prerequisite(s)

ECE 275 and ECE 310

Course Texts

Peterson, Larry L., and Bruce S. Davie. Computer Networks: A Systems Approach. 5th ed. Morgan Kaufmann, 2011.

References:

Bertsekas, Dimitri, and Robert Gallager. Data Networks. 2nd ed. Pearson, 1992.
Tanenbaum, Andrew, and David Wetherall. Computer Networks. 5th ed. Pearson, 2011.
Kurose, James, and Keith Ross. Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach. 5th ed. Pearson, 2009.

Schedule

150 minutes lecture per week

Course Description

Introduction to computer networks and protocols. Involves study of the ISO open systems interconnection model, with emphasis on the physical, data link, network and transport layers. Discussion of IEEE 802, OSI, and internet protocols.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, the student will understand:

Network design principles and performance metrics
The mechanisms and protocols for reliable data communication via a computer network
How to evaluate the performance of different network architectures and protocols.
Schematics of computer network architectures
Applications of computer networks.
The OSI layering model
Direct link networks
Medium access control
Wireless network technologies
Internetworking
End-to-end protocols
Congestion control and resource allocation
Network security

Course Topics

Computer networks

Schematics of computer networks
Network architectures
Applications of computer networks
The OSI layering model
Example networks
Network performance metrics

Direct link networks

Hardware building blocks
Network links
Bit encoding
Framing, error detection and correction
ARQ: retransmission mechanisms

Medium access

Channel allocation problem
Multiple access protocols
Ethernet, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, WiFi, WiMax

Internetworking

Simple internetworking
Routing algorithms
Internet routing
Multicast routing

End-to-end protocols

Simple transport protocols
Reliable transport service (TCP)
Flow-control mechanisms

Congestion control and resource allocation

Resource allocation problem
Classification of resource allocation methods
Evaluation metrics
TCP congestion control
Congestion avoidance mechanisms

Applications

Email
The World Wide Web (WWW)
The Domain Name System (DNS)
Web services

Network security

Basics of cryptography
Simple cryptosystems
Symmetric key cryptography
Hash functions
Public key cryptography
Authentication protocols
Transport layer and IP security

Relationship to Student Outcomes

ECE 478 contributes directly to the following specific electrical and computer engineering student outcomes of the ECE department:

Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering (high)
Ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data (medium)
Ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems (high)
Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility (low)
Ability to communicate effectively (medium)
Knowledge of contemporary issues (medium)
Ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice (high)

Syllabus Prepared By

Ming Li, 03/22/16