CS455: Computer Networking Systems

This page last modified: 13:17 22 Aug 2002

Where & When: Tuesdays, 19:20 to 22:00, Science & Technology I, room 126
Also available through Distance Learning Students may take any of the course's classes over the web using the distance learning software but:
  1. students must ask for a password to have access to the network-accessible version (see below),
  2. students may view the live or recorded lectures anywhere (home, office, on campus), but must be present, in person, to write the midterm and final examinations.

Other sections of this course are offered:

Instructor: Charles Snow, Adjunct Professor
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 16:00 to 18:00, room across from main Department office, 4th floor ST2.
Email: csnow@cs.gmu.edu
Pre-requisites:
Description: The course presents data communications fundamentals and computer networking methods, using the ISO 7-layer reference model to organize the study. Attention is focused on the protocols of the physical, data link control, network, and transport layers, for local and wide area networks. Emphasis is given to the Internet Protocol Suite. Students will program simplified versions of the protocols as part of the course project.
Required Texts:
Shay, Understanding Data Communications and Networks, 2nd Ed., ITP, 1999 Pullen, Understanding Internet Protocols, Wiley, 2000

Look for these books in the GMU Bookstore.
Course Project: Students will use the Network Workbench (NW), software developed at GMU that simulates a protocol stack and displays the results, using a text interface. Students will create modules for Internet stack layers and run them in the NW environment. The project will be built up incrementally through the semester (see Grading, below). NW is available for downloading for Windows, linux and Solaris platforms; current version is 4.2.
Grading: The final grade for this course is made up from:
  1. 10% Homework Exercises,
  2. 25% Midterm,
  3. 25% Project,
  4. 40% Final Exam

The project is built incrementally through the semester with: DLC1, DLC2, LAN1, WAN2, and INT3 counting 4 points each and DLC3 and TRN1 counting 5 points each. LAN2, WAN3, WAN4, INT1, and INT2 may be done for extra credit, counting 2 points each. Course work must be received by 19:30 on the due date. Late work is subject to a penalty that begins at 10%, and doubles for each class the work is late.

Missed exams must be arranged with the instructor before the exam date.

While students are encouraged to discuss solutions to homework and project problems, each student must submit their own, original, work. Students are expected to abide by both the George Mason University Honor System and Code (which contains a definition of plagiarim, amongst other things). and the Computer Science Department Honor Code Policy for Programming Projects. Further academic policy information is available here.

Note that we reserve the right to submit student projects for automated testing against other submitted projects to confirm a submission's originality.

Extra credit is available by doing extra projects, however no student who fails the final exam will receive a grade higher than C, regardless of extra credit earned.

Syllabus: This is the projected course outline, and is subject to revision.

27 Aug 02 1 Course introduction; network concepts; 7-layer and 5-layer models Chapter 1 / NW Setup
03 Sep 02 2 Physical layer: transmission media, coding Sections 2.1 - 2.3 / Project DLC1: Framing
10 Sep 02 3 Analog/digital transmission, serial/parallel interfaces, multiplexing, CRC Sections 2.4 - 3.3, 4.3 / Project DLC2: CRC
17 Sep 02 4 Data compression, security principles, integrity, appropriate use Section 3.5, Chapter 4 / Project DLC1 due
24 Sep 02 5 Data link control; discrete event simulation Chapter 5 / Project DLC3: ARQ / Project DLC2 due
01 Oct 02 6 Local area networks Section 3.4, Chapter 6 / Project LAN1: CSMA/CD LAN
08 Oct 02 7 Network Layer: WANs, X.25, routing Sections 7.3 & 7.4 / Project DLC3 due
15 Oct 02   No class, no office hours  
22 Oct 02 8 Mid-Term Exam All material covered to date in chapters 1 to 7 inclusive
29 Oct 02 9 Internet Architecture (IPv4), routing algorithms Sections 7.1 & 7.2 Project WAN2: Forwarding and Optimization Project LAN1 due
05 Nov 02 10 Queueing basics; transport layer: TCP and UDP Sections 7.5 & 7.6 / Project TRN1: Reliable Transport
12 Nov 02 11 Multicast, multimedia and ATM networking no reading [yet]/ Project INT3: Integrated Stack and Project Report Project WAN2 due
19 Nov 02 12 Network Security and Network Management Chapter 4 / Project TRN1 due
26 Nov 02 13 Higher layer protocols Chapter 8 / Project INT3 due
03 Dec 02 14 Pervasive Computing and major topic review no reading [yet]
10 Dec 02 15 Final exam (comprehensive) All material covered from chapters 1 to 8 inclusive

Other Notes:
  • Course notices and assignments will be provided via email and/or on the course web site http://cs.gmu.edu/~csnow/cs455/2002A/index.html.
  • Students are responsible for ensuring that the instructor has a valid email address at which the student can be reached. Students assume all responsibility for the security of their email.
  • Course material (e.g., pdf versions of class slides, supplementary material, homework solutions) will be available on the course web site.
  • This course is available, via Internet, to computers anywhere using a package called NEW, developed at GMU Students may dial-up through GMU facilities, or use any other Internet access they have available to them. The web-cast of the classes provides the slides presented in class, synchronized with the instructor's voice and annotations. Students may submit written questions to the instructor during the class. The classes are also recorded, and are available for playback later. A password is required to access online course delivery. To obtain a password for NEW access, visit the distance education webpage and follow the directions there (use your standard GMU computer account username).