CO212-Networks and Communications

Course syllabus

Syllabus

Introduction and basic concepts: Applications of computer communications and types of data, Channels, bit rate and throughput, Network topologies, LANs, MANs and WANs, broadcast and point-to-point, Synchronous and asynchronous communication. Connection oriented and connectionless communication

Theoretical capacity of channels: Shannon's law and the Nyquist relationship, Multiplexing, Queuing theory

Computer communication system architectures:

The OSI Reference Model: overview of the seven layer model. The TCP/IP Model: Comparison with the OSI Model, overview of TCP/IP protocols.

The physical layer:

Transmission media. Properties of signals and signal degradation. Digital and analogue transmission, conversions between formats.

Error detection and correction Forward error control: Hamming code. Reverse error control: parity, block sum check, cyclic redundancy check.

Data compression

The data link layer

Error control: Idle RQ and continuous RQ. Flow control

The medium access control sub-layer:

Slotted transmission, carrier sensing, token passing, distributed queues, IEEE MAC model and addresses, Ethernet: 10Mbps to 1Gbps. Token Ring. DQDB

The network layer:

Switching: packet switched and circuit switched. Routing and Internetworking. Repeaters, bridges and routers flood routing, adaptive routing: link distance and backwards learning, Internet protocols (IPv4, IPv6) and ARP. ATM, The public telephone network: POTS and ISDN

The transport layer:

UDP and TCP. Quality of service

The session layer

The presentation layer:

Transport syntax: ASN.1 and ISO8825, Security: confidential and authenticated data, public key and private key cryptography, digital signatures, PGP, key escrow, firewalls.

The application layer:

OSI model protocols, DNS and URLs and FTP, HTTP, SMTP

Future directions:

Multimedia and the RTP

Reading list

Course leaders

Dr Cristian Cadar, Dr Peter Pietzuch

N.B. Course structure and content is subject to change.