Course Description

Data communication concepts; network topologies; transmission media; network access control; communication protocols; network architecture; LANs, MANs, and WANs; internetworking. Prerequisite: CS 3270.

Course Syllabus

1. Data Communication Concepts
   1. Networks and open system standards: the OSI reference model
   2. Network topologies and the physical layer
      1. Bus/Tree topology, ring topology, star topology
   3. The future of data communications
2. Transmission Media and Transmission Technologies
   1. The electrical interface
   2. Metallic media
   3. Optical fiber media
   4. Wireless media (line-of-sight media)
   5. Baseband and broadband transmission
   6. Transmission bandwidth (link capacity)
   7. Codes
   8. Analog and digital signals
   9. Modulation and demodulation, modems and modem standards
   10. Transmission impairments (distortion and noise limitations on system performance)
3. Data Transmission
   1. Transmission modes
      1. Simplex, half-duplex, full-duplex communications
      2. Serial and parallel transmission
      3. Synchronous transmission
      4. Asynchronous transmission
   2. Interface standards
   3. Multiplexing of signals
   4. Data compression
4. Protocol Concepts - Media Access Control
   1. Protocol basics
   2. MAC protocols (CSMA/CD and Token passing)
5. Data Security and Integrity
   1. Error detection and correction
   2. Encryption and decryption
   3. Viruses, worms, and hacking
6. Local Area Networks
   1. LAN standards (IEEE standards 802 for LANs)
   2. Interconnecting LANs
   3. LAN Hardware (server platforms, backup devices, LAN adapters, printers, etc.)
   4. LAN system software, LAN application software
   5. LAN selection criteria
7. Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs)
   1. Network routing
   2. Public data networks
   3. Circuit-switched data network
   4. Packet-switched data network
   5. Internet protocol
   6. ISDN
   7. Electronic mail
8. Network Architecture
   1. Layered approach
   2. Hierarchical approach
9. Network Interconnections (Internetworking)
   1. LAN-to-LAN connections and LAN-to-Host connections
   2. Repeaters, Bridges, Routers, and Gateways
   3. Interconnection utilities