DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA

COSC407: DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKS

Link to CA/Lab Scores


Prerequisite: COSC205: Digital Logic Design
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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 15% (March 30, 2019)
CBT Test 25% (April 27, 2019)
Lecture Attendance0%
Practical25%
Practical Attendance5%
Final Exam60%
Total100%

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

  1. Understanding the fundamental concepts of computer networking.
  2. Be familiar with the basic taxonomy and terminology of the computer networking area.
  3. Be introduced to advanced networking concepts, preparing the student for entering advanced courses in computer networking.
  4. 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:

  1. Independently understand basic computer network technology.
  2. Understand and explain Data Communications System and its components.
  3. Identify the different types of network topologies and protocols.
  4. Enumerate the layers of the OSI model and TCP/IP. Explain the function(s) of each layer.
  5. Identify the different types of network devices and their functions within a network
  6. Understand and building the skills of subnetting and routing mechanisms.
  7. 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
↓
  • Data Communication
  • Networks
  • The Internet
  • Protocols and Standards
Network Models
↓
  • The Layered Tasks
  • The OSI Model
  • Layers in the OSI Model
  • TCP/IP Protocol Suite
  • Addressing
Physical Layer
↓
  • Data and Signals
  • Digital Transmission
  • Analog Transmission
  • Switching
Datalink Layer
↓
  • Error Detection
  • Error Corrections
  • Data Link Control
Network Layer
↓
  • Logical Addressing
  • Internal Protocol
  • Address Mapping, Error Reporting and Multicasting
Transport Layer
↓
  • Process to Process Delivery
  • Congestion Control
  • Quality of Service
Application Layer
↓
  • Domain Name System
  • Remote Login, Electronic Mail and File Transfer
  • WWW and HTTP
Network Security
  • Cryptography
  • Network Security


LECTURE SCHEDULE

Date Lecture # Lecture Description Pre-Class Reading
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
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