Syllabus - CS325
Computer Science 325
Computer Networks
Fall 2003
Course Information
Class Meets: Tuesday and Thursday 1:15pm-2:30pm
Location: 203 Kendade
Web Page: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/srollins/cs325-f03
Instructor Information
Instructor: Sami Rollins
Office: Clapp 221
Phone: (413) 538-3250
Email: srollins@mtholyoke.edu
Office Hours: (tentative) Tuesday and Thursday 2:45-4:00pm, Wednesday 10am-11am, and by appointment
Pre-requisites
CS 211, 221, and 322. Students should have good programming skills in a language such as C/C++ or Java and an understanding of basic operating systems concepts. Contact me with any questions regarding pre-requisites.
Course Objectives
- Understand the challenges of computer networking
- Understand the design considerations and functionality of networking solutions
- Understand the tradeoffs and performance of various networking protocols and algorithms
Required Text
J. Kurose and K. Ross. Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet, Second Edition. Pearson Addison Wesley, 2002. Also see: http://wps.aw.com/aw_kurose_network_2/
Grading Information
Grades will be based on homework assignments (weekly), programming assignments (2), laboratory assignments (3), a midterm exam, and a final exam. Grades will be distributed as follows:
Homework Assignments: 5%
Programming Assignments: 35%
Laboratory Assignments: 15%
Midterm Exam: 20%
Final Exam: 25%
Note: I reserve the right to change the distribution and add assignments as necessary.
Course Overview
This course is an introduction to computer networks, the mechanisms used in their construction, and the factors that affect their performance. Topics include network architecture, data transmissions, network protocols, error and connection management, internet-working, the Internet, client-server programming, examples, and applications.
We will cover the following topics:
| Week Number |
Topic |
| Week 1 |
Introduction - Chapter 1 |
| Week 2 |
Introduction - Chapter 1 |
| Week 3 |
Application Layer - Chapter 2 |
| Week 4 |
Application Layer - Chapter 2 |
| Week 5 |
Transport Layer - Chapter 3 |
| Week 6 |
Transport Layer - Chapter 3 |
| Week 7 |
Fall break and catch-up/special topics |
| Week 8 |
Review and Midterm exam - Chapters 1-3 |
| Week 9 |
Network Layer - Chapter 4 |
| Week 10 |
Network Layer - Chapter 4 |
| Week 11 |
Link Layer - Chapter 5 |
| Week 12 |
Link Layer - Chapter 5 |
| Week 13 |
Catch-up/special topics and Thanksgiving break |
| Week 14 |
Special topics (TBA) |
| Week 15 |
Review for final exam - Chapters 1-5 and special topics material -- Final date TBA |
Reading will be assigned on a weekly basis. The homework portion of your grade will be based on review questions assigned from the end of each chapter. The project portion of your grade will be based on two substantial programming assignments and the laboratory portion of your grade will be based on three laboratory assignments that will ask you to experiment with various network tools.
Unless otherwise noted, assignments are to be completed individually. Academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated. This is your warning! Students are encouraged to meet with me if they have questions regarding assignments or this policy. Students caught cheating will face severe penalty. Please see: http://www.integrity-intl.com/UCSB/Academic%20Misconduct.htm for a discussion of academic dishonesty. We will follow the policies outlined there.
Sami Rollins