Computer Networks

Primary study textbook:

A.S.Tanenbaum: Computer Networks. Fourth edition. Pearson Education (Prentice Hall) 2003. ISBN 0-13-038488-7.

Numbers next to topics in lecture outline refer to respective chapters of primary study textbook.
Topics marked with blue color are not discussed in the textbook explicitly, so search other sources or Internet for to get basic knowledge about each.

Lecture 1

• Basic theory of data transfer – 2.1
• Signal attenuation, distortion. Noise.
• Modulation, types of modulation.
• Duplex,half-duplex and simplex communication - 2.5.3 (until p. 130)
• SIGNAL ENCODING: Not Return to Zero (NRZ), Return to Zero (RZ), Not Return to Zero Invert (NRZI), Alternate Mark Inversion (AMI), Manchester, Differential Manchester, 4B5B

Lecture 2

• NETWORK TOPOLOGIES: BUS, STAR, TREE, RING, PARTIAL MESH.
• Networking media (twisted pair, fiber optics, coax) - 2.2
• Media sharing with multiplexing: FDM (WDM), TDM 2.5.4 (until p.142)

Lecture 3

• Channel allocation problem: 4, 4.1
• Media access control methods:
  Aloha, CSMA, reservation bitmap, binary countdown 4.2-4.2.3
• TOKEN PASSING. VIRTUAL TOKEN PASSING.
  

Lecture 4

• Data link layer overview - 3.1
• Error Control - 3.1.3
• Flow Control - 3.1.4
• Framing,bit stuffing - 3.1.2
• Stop & wait protocol - 3.3.2
• Sliding Window - 3.4
• Most used link-layer protocols: HDLC, PPP - 3.6
• Two/army problem - 503

Lecture 5

• Ethernet: architecture, media, Manchester encoding, collision handling - 4.3-4.3.4
• Fast Ethernet - 4.3.7
• Gigabit Ethernet - 4.3.8
• Logical Link Control (LLC) layer - 4.3.9
• Switched Ethernet - 4.3.6
• Virtual LANs (VLAN) 4.7.6
  

Lecture 6

• OSI and TCP/IP reference models: 1.4-1.4.3
• Connectionless service - 5.1.3
• Connection-oriented service - 5.1.4
  

Lecture 7

• Devices for LAN interconnection: hub, bridge, switch, router - 4.7.5
• Transparent bridge - 4.7.2
• SOURCE ROUTING SWITCHES
• Spanning Tree protocol - 4.7.3
• Store-and-Forward Packet Switching - 5.1.1.
• WANs and routing  - 1.2.3
• Routing algorithms - 5.2-5.2.6
• Autonomous system, internal and external routing protocols - 5.5.6

Lecture 8

• Internet Protocol 5.6.1
• IP addresses (classes, subnetting, CIDR, NAT) 5.6.2
• ICMP, ARP, DHCP: 5.6.3
• UDP 6.4.1
• TCP 6.5-6.5.7

Lecture 9

• Domain Name system - 7.1
  

Lecture 10

Internet applications:

• TELNET, SECURE SHELL - purpose, security of both protocols
• FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP) - purpose, architecture and basic principles
• e-mail (architecture, SMTP, POP, IMAP) - 7.2
• WWW (HTTP) 7.3, 7.3.1, 7.3.4

Lecture 11

• IEEE 802.11 wireless networks - 4.4-4.4.5