COMP 3270: Computer Networks

Instructor: Dr. Ning Lu
Office: HL 411
Email: nlu@tru.ca
Tel: 250-828-5224

Course Description

This course is a comprehensive introduction to computer networks. The focus is on the concepts, the protocols, and the fundamental design principles. Topics include: network architecture, multiplexing, protocols and layering, digital transmission, retransmission and media access control, congestion/flow/error control, routing, addressing, internetworking (Internet), and TCP and UDP. How to engineer a data center network will be delivered as a special topic if time permits.

Prerequisites: COMP 2130, COMP 2230. Knowledge of MATH 3020 (undergrad probability) would be helpful.

Topics

  • Introduction to Computer Networks [1-2 1-3 2-1]

  • Network Performance (Discrete-Time Single Server Queue)

  • Physical Layer: Fundamentals of Digital Transmission

  • Data Link Layer: Error Control, Retransmission Protocols, Medium Access Control (MAC)

  • Network Layer: IP addressing, Routing

  • Transport Layer: TCP, UDP, Flow control and Congestion control

  • Application Layer: HTTP, DNS, MQTT

  • Special topic: Engineering data center networks

Meeting Time

Lectures (Sept. 7  —  Dec. 2)

8:30 am – 9:20 am on Tuesdays, OM 1771
8:30 am – 9:20 am on Wednesdays, OM 2742
11:30 am – 12:20 pm on Thursdays, OM 2402

Seminar/Lab

9:30 am – 10:20 am on Fridays, OM 1360
No seminar/lab on Sept. 9 and Nov. 11 (Remembrance Day)

Office Hours (HL 407)

9:30 am – 12:00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
10:30 am – 12:00 pm on Fridays

Grading

  • 10% Lab assignment

  • 20% Homework (four assignments)

  • 30% One midterm exam

    • Date: 11:30 am – 12:20 pm, Thursday, Oct. 13; Room: OM 2402

  • 40% Final exam

    • Date and Location (TBA)

  • No extra credit work will be assigned

Materials

  • Texts

    • Course Notes (will be posted after each lecture)

  • References

    • Behrouz A. Forouzan, Data Communications and Networking, fifth edition, McGraw-Hill, 2007

    • James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross, Computer Networking – A Top Down Approach, 6th edition, Addison Wesley

    • D. Bertsekas and R. Gallager, Data Networks, Prentice Hall, 1992

    • R. Srikant and L. Ying. Communication Networks: An Optimization, Control and Stochastic Networks Perspective, Cambridge University Press, 2014 (advanced material)