Syllabus - CS325

Computer Science 325
Computer Networks Fall 2005

Course Information

Class Meets: Tuesday and Thursday 8:35am-9:50am
Location: 203 Kendade
Web Page: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/srollins/cs325-f05

Instructor Information

Instructor: Sami Rollins
Office: Clapp 221
Phone: (413) 538-3250
Email: srollins@mtholyoke.edu
Office Hours: (tentative) Tuesday 1:30-2:30pm, Wednesday 12:30-1:30pm, Friday 10-11am, 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

Required Text

J. Kurose and K. Ross. Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet, Third Edition. Pearson Addison Wesley, 2005. Also see: http://www.awl.com/kurose-ross

Grading Information

Grades will be based on homework assignments (weekly), programming assignments (3), laboratory assignments (2), and one exam. Grades will be distributed as follows:
Homework Assignments: 15%
Programming Assignments: 45%
Laboratory Assignments: 15%
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 The Internet and Protocols - Chapter 1
Week 2 Networking Overview - Chapter 1
Week 3 Application Layer Protocols (HTTP, DNS) - Chapter 2
Week 4 Socket Programming - Chapter 2
Week 5 Transport Layer, UDP and Reliable Data Transfer - Chapter 3
Week 6 Break/TCP - Chapter 3
Week 7 Congestion Control and Review - Chapter 3
Week 8 Network Layer, Routing and IP - Chapter 4
Week 9 Routing and Broadcast/Multicast - Chapter 4
Week 10 Link Layer, Error Detection, MA, Addressing, Ethernet - Chapter 5
Week 11 Ethernet and Review - Chapter 5
Week 12 Exam and Break
Week 13 Network Security - Chapter 8
Week 14 Wireless Network - Chapter 6
Week 15 Finished!

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 three substantial programming assignments and the laboratory portion of your grade will be based on two laboratory assignments that will ask you to experiment with various network tools. There will be one exam.

Late homework assignments will not be accepted. Project and laboratory assignments submitted on time are eligible for full credit. Project and laboratory assignments submitted late by 1 week or less are eligible for a maximum of 80%. Project and laboratory assignments submitted more than 1 week late are not eligible for credit. Extensions will be granted only in the case of a medical emergency or other extraordinary circumstances that can be verified by your dean. You are responsible for being in class on the day of the exam. Make-up exams will be given only in the case of a medical emergency or other extraordinary circumstances that can be verified by your dean.

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: this page and refer to the handout distributed in class for a discussion of academic dishonesty.

Sami Rollins