This course builds upon CS633 to examine local area networks, internetworking via the TCP/IP protocols, and the Internet. The OSI reference model and the TCP/IP protocols form the framework. Topics include: multiaccess network strategies; basic traffic and capacity models; LAN standards and the evolution of Ethernet from shared access to switched and wireless; LAN internetworking using bridges and routers; routing strategies and congestion in networks; the IP protocol; transport-layer issues and the TCP and UDP protocols; network security; Internet services and applications such as the Domain Name System, FTP, SMTP mail, and the HTTP protocol for the WEB. 

• Introduction - Historical perspective, networking strategies (multiaccess, packet vs. circuit switched, datagram vs. virtual circuit, connection-oriented vs. connectionless). Layered architecture: the OSI Reference Model and TCP/IP. 
• Probability Models and Network Traffic - Event probability. Discrete distributions: binomial, poisson and geometric. Exponential distribution. Poisson traffic.
  
• Local Area Network Strategies - Multi-access shared networks. Medium access control protocols: ALOHA, CSMA/CD and Token Ring. Simple performance models of sharing and contention.
• Local Area Network Standards - Evolution of the Ethernet standards: shared, switched and wireless LANs. 802.11 wireless Ethernet and CSMA/CA. 
• Internetworking of LANs - Bridges, routers and LAN switching.
• Network Layer - Virtual circuit vs. datagram routing in packet-switched networks. Routing algorithms (distance vector and link state). The need for congestion control.
• Internetworking and the IP Protocol - Internetworking viewpoint. IP addressing and datagram format. Related protocols: ARP, ICMP and DHCP. Subnetting and CIDR. IPv6.
• Transport Layer - Transport layer services. Connections, acknowledgments, sliding windows and delay. Congestion control. TCP and UDP protocols. Finite state model. The socket API for network programming.
• Network Security - Secret-key and public-key encryption, authentication, digital signature, integrity.
• Internet Application Protocols - Domain Name System (DNS), Telnet, FTP, SMTP mail and World Wide Web (http).
• Team Report - Each team will prepare a report on a computer networking application or technology, to be posted on the Web and presented in class.

CS 633 Data Communications and Networking

A. S. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, 4th ed., Prentice Hall, 2003.
H. Blum, Introduction to Data Communications and Networking, 2004. (Reference)

Prof. Blum's Home page rev. 12-25-04