DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
COSC407: DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKS
Prerequisite: | COSC205: Digital Logic Design |
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Required Reading: | Behrouz A. Forouzan, “Data Communications and Networking” 5th Edition McGraw-Hill, 2007 |
Reference Textbook: | Andrew S. Tanenbaum and David J. Wetherall,”Computer Networks” 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2011 |
Handouts: | Lecture notes are available on the course website https://dcs.abu.edu.ng/cosc407 |
Download Lesson Plan: | Lesson Plan |
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is to provide students with Introduction to computer networks and layered architectures: connectivity, topology, circuit and packet switching, TCP/IP and ISO models; Application layer: C/S model, DNS, SMTP, FTP, WWW, socket programming and network security; Transport layer: TCP and UDP, congestion control; Network layer: internetworking, addressing and routing algorithms and protocols; Data link layer: framing, flow and error control protocols, PPP, MAC and LANs; Physical layer: principles of data communications, circuit switching, coding, multiplexing and transmission media. Network security: fundamentals of cryptography, secret and public key algorithms, authentication protocols and suggested lab work.
GRADING:
Items (a) to (e) will be used in the calculation of the final score.
- Quizzes: Two CBT tests will be taken during this course. We shall agree on the exact date and time of the test at least two weeks before the planned date. There may be unannounced test so all students should be punctual in the class throughout the course. Tests are not open book and a calculator is not required.
- Final Exam: Final exams will take place during the university examination period. The exact date and time for COSC407 examination will be determined by the faculty examinations officer. All students should take note of the exact exams date and time as there will be no make-up exams for those who missed the exams. The final exam is a two hours examination. You will be given six questions to answer any four.
- Home Work: assignments will be given every two weeks on the last day of the lecture. The assignment should be submitted one week after the date of release. All assignments will weight equally towards the final score.
- Practical Class: There will be practical session for this course. The practical classes commence a week after the commencement of lectures. All students should be punctual.
- Attendance: Attendance will be taken at every lecture. Only students with a minimum of 75% attendance will be allowed to sit for the final examination as stated in the University regulations.
The course grade will be established in consideration of the following factors:
CBT Test 1 | 5% (March 30, 2019) |
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CBT Test 2 | 5% (April 27, 2019) |
Lecture Attendance | 0% |
Practical | 25% |
Practical Attendance | 5% |
Final Exam | 60% |
Total | 100% |
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
- Understanding the fundamental concepts of computer networking.
- Be familiar with the basic taxonomy and terminology of the computer networking area.
- Be introduced to advanced networking concepts, preparing the student for entering advanced courses in computer networking.
- Be Allowed to gain expertise in some specific areas of networking such as the design and maintenance of individual networks.
MEASURABLE COURSE OUTCOMES
After completing this course the student ought to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to:
- Independently understand basic computer network technology.
- Understand and explain Data Communications System and its components.
- Identify the different types of network topologies and protocols.
- Enumerate the layers of the OSI model and TCP/IP. Explain the function(s) of each layer.
- Identify the different types of network devices and their functions within a network
- Understand and building the skills of subnetting and routing mechanisms.
- Display familiarity with the basic protocols of computer networks, and how they can be used to assist in network design and implementation.
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE
The students should be able to design and implement standard computer networks
LECTURE PLAN
Data Communication and Networks Overview
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Network Models
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Physical Layer
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Datalink Layer
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Network Layer
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Transport Layer
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Application Layer
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Network Security
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LECTURE SCHEDULE
Date | Lecture # | Lecture Description | Pre-Class Reading |
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Data Communication and Networks Overview | |||
Lecture 1 |
Data Communications and Network Criteria: Components of a data communications system, Data Flow , Networks and Network Criteria |
1.1-1.2 | |
Lecture 2 | Networks: Physical Structures and Categories of Networks | 1.2 | |
Lecture 3 | Internet: Brief History, Organisation of the Internet and Internet Elements | 1.3 | |
Lecture 4 | Internet: Internet Architecture and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1.3 | |
Lecture 5 | Protocols and Standards: Protocols, Elements of Protocols, Standards, Standard organisations and Internet Standards | 1.4 | |
Networks Models | |||
Lecture 6 | Layered Tasks: Layered Tasks and the OSI model | 2.1 | |
Lecture 7 | Layers in the OSI Model: Introduction of Layers in the OSI Model | 2.2 | |
Lecture 8 | Layers in the OSI Model: Introduction of Layers in the OSI Model Continued | 2.3 | |
Lecture 9 | TCP/IP Protocol Suite: Relationships of layers | 2.4 | |
Lecture 10 | Addressing | 2.5 | |
Physical Layer | |||
Lecture 11 | Data and Signals: Analog and Digita, Periodic Analog Signals | 3.1-3.2 | |
Lecture 12 | Data and Signals: Aperiodic Digital Signals | 3.3 | |
Lecture 13 | Data and Signals: Transmission Impairment, Data Rate Limits and Performance | 3.4-3.6 | |
Lecture 14 | Digital Transmission: Digital-to-Digital Conversion | 4.1 | |
Lecture 15 | Digital Transmission: Analog-to-Analog Conversion | 5.2 | |
Lecture 16 | Analog Transmission: Digital-to-Analog Conversion | 5.1 | |
Lecture 17 | Analog Transmission: Analog-to-Analog Conversion | 5.2 | |
Lecture 18 | Switching: Switching Taxonomy, Cercuit Switched Networks and Datagraph Networks | 8.1-8.2 | |
Lecture 19 | Switching: Virtual Circuit Networks and Structure of a Switch | 8.3-8.4 | |
Data Link Layer | |||
Lecture 20 | Error Detection and Correction: Prelude to Error Detection and Correction, Error Detection and Correction | 10.1 | |
Lecture 21 | Error Detection and Correction: Block coding and linear block codes | 10.2-10.3 | |
Lecture 22 | Error Detection and Correction: Cyclic codes and Checksum | 10.4-10.5 | |
Lecture 23 | Data Link Control: Framing, Flow and Error Control, Protocols and Noiseless Channels | 11.1-11.4 | |
Lecture 24 | Data Link Control: Noisy Channels, HDLC and Point-to-Point Protocol | 11.5-11.7 | |
Network Layer | |||
Lecture 25 | Logical Addressing: Logical Addressing and IPv4 Addressing | 19.1 | |
Lecture 26 | Logical Addressing: IPv4 Addressing continued, Conversion from IPv4 to IPv6 and vice versa | 19.1 | |
Lecture 27 | Logical Addressing: IPv6 Addressing | 19.2 | |
Lecture 28 | Internet Protocol: Internetworking and Transition from IPv4 to IPv6 | 20.1-20.4 | |
Lecture 29 | Addressing Mapping, Error Reporting and Multicasting | 21.1-21.4 | |
Lecture 30 | Delivery, Forwarding and Routing | 22.1-22.4 | |
Transport Layer | |||
Lecture 31 | Process-to-Process Delivery: UDP, TCP and SCTP | 23.1-23.5 | |
Lecture 32 | Congestion: Data Traffic, Congestion and Congestion Control | 24.1-24.4 | |
Lecture 33 | Quality of Service: Technology to improve QoS, Integrated Services, Differentiated Services and QoS in Switched Networks | 24.5-24.9 | |
Application Layer | |||
Lecture 34 | Domain Name System: Name Space, Domain Name Space, Distribution of Name Space and DNS in the Internet | 25.1-25.4 | |
Lecture 35 | Doman Name System: Resolution, DNS Messages, Types of Records, Registrars, DDNS and Encapsulation | 25.5-25.10 | |
Lecture 36 | Remote Login, Electronic mail and File transfer | 26.1-26.3 | |
Lecture 37 | WWW and HTTP | 27.1-27.3 | |
Netword Security | |||
Lecture 38 | Cryptography: Terminologies, Symmetric-key Cryptography, Assymmetric-key Cryptography | 30.1-30.3 | |
Lecture 39 | Security: IPSecurity, SSL/TLS, PGP, Firewall | 32.1-32.4 |