Cleveland State University

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

EEC 484/584 Computer Networks

Spring Semester 2009

Course Objectives:          This course provides a comprehensive overview of computer networks. Topics include network architectures, communication protocols; data link control, medium access control, LANs and WANs; network layer, TCP/IP; and network security

Prerequisite:                    Graduate standing (for graduate students)

Textbook:                         Computer Networks, by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Prentice Hall, 2003, 4th Edition (or newer).

Recommended Book:      Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet, by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross, Addison-Wesley, 2004, 3rd Edition (or newer)

Instructor:                        Dr. Wenbing Zhao
Office:       SH434

Phone:       (216) 523-7480

Fax:           (216) 687-5405

E-mail:       wenbing@ieee.org

Lecture time: M W 6:00-7:50pm

Office hours: M W 2:00-4:00pm and by appointment

 

 

Tentative Schedule:

Week

Topics

Reading

1

(Jan 19 - 23)

Jan 21:

  • Lecture #1 - Overview of the course; syllabus; policies (notes)

 

Handout

2

(Jan 26 – 30)

Jan 26:

·         Lecture #2 - Introduction to computer networks and the Internet, network hardware, network software (part1) (notes)

Jan 28:

  • Class cancelled due to snow

 

Ch.1.2

Ch.1.3.1, 1.3.5

 

 

3

(Feb 2 – 6)

Feb 2:

  • Lecture #3: Network software (part2), Reference models; Network standards (notes)

Feb 4:

  • Lecture #4 – Overview of application layer protocols, Web and HTTP (notes)
  • Handout for Lab #1 instructions

 

Ch.1.3.2-1.3.3

Ch.1.4, Ch.1.5.1

Ch.1.6

 

Ch.7.3

 

4

(Feb 9 – 13)

Feb 9:

Feb 11:

  • Lecture #5 – DNS (notes)
  • Lab #1 report due
  • Handout for Lab #2

 

 

5

(Feb 16 – 20)

Feb 16:

  • President’s Day (No Class)

Feb 18:

  • Lab #2 – DNS

 

 

 

 

6

(Feb 23 – 27)

Feb 23:

  • Quiz #1 (Lecture 1-5, Lab 1-2)

·         Lab #2 report due

Feb 25:

·         Lecture #6 - The transport service; reliable data transfer (notes)

  • Special Lab #1: Learning reliable data transfer mechanism with iPod Touch

 

Ch.6.1-6.2

Ch. 3.4

 

7

(Mar 2 – 6)

Mar 2:

  • Lecture #7 - Sliding window protocols; The Internet transport protocols: UDP and TCP (part 1) (notes)

Mar 4:

  • Lecture #8  - The Internet transport protocols: UDP and TCP (part 2) (notes)
  • Handout for Lab #3

Ch.6.4-6.5

 

8

(Mar 9 – 13)

Mar 9:

·         Lab #3 – TCP 

Mar 11:

  • Quiz #2 (Lecture 6-8, Lab 3)
  • Lab #3 report due

 

 

 

 

9

(Mar 16 – 20)

 

Spring Recess, No Class!

 

 

10

(Mar 23 – 27)

Mar 23:

  • Lecture #9 - Network layer design issues; routing algorithms (part I) (notes)

Mar 25:

·         Lecture #10 - routing algorithms (part II); Internet protocol (part I) (notes)

 

Ch.5.1-5.2

 

 

Ch.5.6

 

11

(Mar 30 – Apr 3)

Mar 30:

  • Lecture #11 - Internet protocol (part II) (notes)
  • Handout for Lab #4
  • Handout for Wiki-Page Project

Apr 1:

·         Lab #4 – IP

 

Ch.5.6

 

 

 

 

12

(Apr 6 - 10)

Apr 6:

Apr 8:

  • Quiz #3 (Lecture 9-11, Lab 4)
  • Lab #4 report due

 

 

 

 

 

Ch.3.1-3.2

 

13

(Apr 13 – 17)

Apr 13:

  • Lecture #12 - Data link layer design issues; Error detection and correction (notes)

Apr 15:

·         Lecture #13 - The channel allocation problem; Multiple access protocols (notes)

 

 

 

 

 

Ch.4.1-4.2

 

14

(Apr 20 – 24)

Apr 20:

  • Lecture #14 - Ethernet; ARP; DHCP (notes)
  • Handout for Lab #5
  • Wiki-Page Project initial draft due 

Apr 22:

 

Ch.4.3-4.4
Ch.5.6.3 (part of it)

 

15

(Apr 27 – May 1)

Apr 27:

  • Mock quiz & discussions
  • Special Lab #2: Learning DL mechanisms with iPod Touch
  • Lab #5 report due

Apr 29:

·         Quiz #4 (Lecture 12-14, Lab#5)

 

16

(May 4 – 8)

May 4:

  • Lecture #15 – Cryptography; Symmetric-key algorithm, cipher modes (notes)
  • Wiki-Page Project review due

May 6:

·         Lecture #16 - Public-key algorithm; Digital signatures Message digest; Management of public keys (notes)

 

Ch.8.1-8.4

 

 

 

Ch.8.5-8.6

17

(May 11 – 15)

May 11 (6-8pm):

  • Quiz#5 (Lecture 15-16) (Take Home Quiz)
  • Wiki-Page Project final version due

 

 

Project

For individual or a team of two. As a way to gain extra-credit, you are encouraged to build demonstration programs (Java applet, plain Java application, or use NS2 simulator) in addition to building the wiki page.

 

Project requirement: Select a topic related to computer networks, and build a wiki page for the topic on http://www.pbwiki.com/ or a similar Web hosting site. Example topics are: Static channel allocation, dynamic channel allocation, multiple access protocols (Aloha, CSMA etc.), Ethernet, ARP, DHCP, network layer, routing algorithms (link state and distance vector), IP, TCP, UDP, ICMP, reliable communication protocols, sliding window protocols.

      

       As part of the project, peer-review and revision steps are involved. Each team is required to review three wiki pages built by other teams anonymously. The quality of the review will be counted towards the total credit for this project. Furthermore, after getting a set of reviews, each team must address the comments and revise its wiki page carefully in light of the reviews. If the team disagrees with any comment, a convincing argument should be provided to refute it.

 

Quizzes

There is no makeup quiz. Each quiz is designed for one-hour completion, but you have up to 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete it. The quizzes are closed book and closed notes, except that you are allowed to bring with you a one-page hand-written cheat sheet no larger than the US letter size (double-sided allowed).

 

The best of four out of five quizzes will be counted towards your grade.

 

Labs

There are 5 lab sessions on HTTP, DNS, Ethernet & DHCP, IP, and TCP. They are all based on the Wireshark tool. The labs are mandatory. There will be no makeup lab, and no extension will be granted for lab reports. Exception may be granted to those who have strong background to complete the labs without my supervision (in which case, you do not have to show up during the designated lab sessions. However, lab reports are still required). If you are granted an exception, the related requirement on the lab session attendance for class participation credit is automatically removed.

 

In addition to the Wireshark labs, up to 3 special lab exercises will be designed. The special labs will utilize the iPod touches to get you directly in the decision making process of the network protocols experimented (by touching, tilting, and/or shaking the iPod touch).

 

 

Class Participation

10% of the course credit is allocated to encourage student class participation. I may perform a roll call in the beginning of each class to determine the attendance. To obtain the full credit for class participation, you must satisfy the following conditions:

  • You do not miss more than 2 lectures
  • You do not miss any quiz and lab sessions (if you choose to the labs option)
  • You have asked at least 10 questions during the semester. You are also encouraged to give me advice on how you would like me to improve my teaching to make it more conducive. For each piece of advice, it will be counted as 2 questions.

To help me keep track who asked me questions, please send me an email with the following information for each question you have asked within 24 hours after the lecture:

  • The question you asked
  • My response
  • Your comment on my response and suggestion for improvement, if any

 

Grading

−        Class participation 10%

−        Quizzes 50%

−        Labs (20%)

−        Projects (20%)

 

The final grading is based on your accumulated effort in this course. Your final grade is determined approximately based on the following schedule:

A: 90-100%

A-: 85-89%

B+: 75-84%

B: 65-74%

B-: 60-64%

C: 50-59%

F: (<50%)