Course Description

Basic concepts in networking, the OSI model, error detection codes, flow control, routing, medium access control, and high-speed networks.

Course Objectives

• Understand the challenges of network communication.
  
• Understand the basics of network communication.
  
• Understand the operation of protocols used in the Internet.

Course Objectives and Department Mission

Because the Internet is such an important part of the communications infrastructure, understanding how it works is of benefit to everyone. Understanding the Internet in detail is especially critical for Computer Science students. Not only do students learn how communication takes place, but the Internet serves as an excellent example of a highly distributed and complex computer system. As a consequence, understanding the Internet fits well with the CS Department's Mission.

Course Information

• Lecture Time/Place
  • Tue/Thur from 11:00am to 12:15pm (BUCHN 1940)

• Discussion Times/Places
  • Wed at 12:00pm (PHELP 3505), at 1:00pm (PHELP 1425), or at 2:00pm (PSYCH 1902)
    
    • First discussion is October 2
      
    • Last discussion is December 4
      

• Course WWW Site: there is a web site on GauchoSpace. The link is: https://gauchospace.ucsb.edu/courses/course/view.php?id=678.
  
  
• Course Material
  • [Requred Textbook] J. Kurose and K. Ross, Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet", Addison-Wesley, 2nd edition (July 2002), 3rd edition (May 2004), 4th edition (April 2007), 5th edition (March 2009), or 6th edition (March 2012).
    
    • Good descriptive text, but top-down instead of bottom-up. That's fine, we'll just work in reverse.
      
    • A bit light on detail in some places, so you should expect to have to occassionaly look elsewhere for more detail.
      
    • The 6th edition was released in 2012, but in general, the 5th, 4th, or 3rd editions are fine (and probably the second too).

  • [Optional/Additional/Alternative Textbook] Andrew S. Tanenbaum: Computer Networks, Prentice Hall, 4th Edition, August 2002.
    
    • Terse but thorough. Some of the explanations can be quite confusing, but still quite useful as a secondary reference.
  • http://www.google.com/
    • There is tons of additional information on the web about topics we will be covering.
• Required Prerequisites: PSTAT120A or ECE139.
  

• Recommended Prerequisites: PSTAT120B and CS170.

Instructor Information

Kevin Almeroth (almeroth@cs.ucsb.edu)
Office Location: 2113, Harold Frank Hall (Engineering I)
Office Hours: 10:00am-11:00am and 12:15pm-1:15pm on Tue/Thu; by appointment, or if my door is open.

Teaching Assistants

Johan Henkens (johan@henkens.com)
Office Location: 1413, Phelps
Office Hours: 12:00pm-3:00pm on Monday

Daniel (Michael) Agun (dagun@cs.ucsb.edu)
Office Location: 1413, Phelps
Office Hours: 1:00pm-4:00pm on Tuesday

Max Hinson (maxwellhinson@gmail.com)
Office Location: 1413, Phelps
Office Hours: 3:00pm-4:00pm on Wednesday & 1:00pm-3:00pm on Thursday

Smruthi Manjunath (smanjunath@cs.ucsb.edu)
Office Location: 1413, Phelps
Office Hours: 9:00am-12:00pm on Friday

Student Evaluation

• 40%: Homeworks
  
  • 10%: Homework #1 [October 13--11:59pm]
    
  • 06%: Homework #2A [October 27--11:59pm]
    
  • 06%: Homework #2B [November 17--11:59pm]
    
  • 18%: Homework #3 [December 8--11:59pm]
    
• 25%: Midterm Exam [October 31--in class]
  
• 35%: Final Exam [Date/Time TBA]
  
  
• Notes
  • Due dates will be posted on the GauchoSpace web site.
  • There is no late homework/exam make-up. All missed homeworks/exams earn a 0.
  • All exams are closed notes/books/calculator/etc.

Course Outline

• Topic #01: Internet History and Organization
  • Leiner, et al., "A Brief History of the Internet", ACM CCR, vol. 39, num. 5, October 2009.
  • Old Online Maps Page
  • "Internet: `The Big Picture'"
  • Kurose/Ross: Chapter 1

• Topic #02: OSI Stack
  • Kurose/Ross: Chapter 1

• Topic #03: Sockets
  • Kurose/Ross: 2.1, 2.7

• Topic #04: Physical Layer
  • Kurose/Ross: Chapter 1
  • S. Steinke, "Network Delay and Signal Propagation"

• Topic #05: Data Link Layer Overview
  • Kurose/Ross: 5.1, 5.2

• Topic #06: Point-to-Point Protocols
  • Kurose/Ross, Parts of 5.3

• Topic #07: Shared Medium Protocols
  • Kurose/Ross: 5.3, 5.4

• Topic #08: Ethernet and Other Shared Medium Protocols
  • Kurose/Ross: 5.4, 6.1-6.4

• Topic #09: Network Layer Overview
  • Kurose/Ross: 4.1, 4.2

• Topics #10 and #11: IP
  • Kurose/Ross: 4.4
  • D. Bandel, "CIDR: A Prescription for Shortness of Address Space," Linux Journal, December 1998

• Topic #12: Routing
  • Kurose/Ross: 4.3, 4.5, 4.6

• Topic #13: Finish IP
  • See Above

• Topic #14: Transport Layer Overview and TCP
  • Kurose/Ross: 3.1-3.2, 3.4-3.7

• Topic #15: TCP (cont'd) and UDP
  • Kurose/Ross 3.3
  • C. Partridge and T. Shepard, "TCP/IP Performance over Satellite Links," IEEE Network, pp. 44-49, September/October 1997

• Topic #16: DNS, HTTP, and the WWW
  • Kurose/Ross: 2.1, 2.2, 2.5

• Topic #17: NATs, Tunnelling, P2P, and CDNs
  • Kurose/Ross: 2.6
  • UCSB Network Information