Computer Communication
Networks
Lecture 1
Course Instructor
• George John Toscano, PhD
• Office Location: EC 354
• Office Hours: MWF: 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm,
TR: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
• Office Phone: 361-593-4573
• Email: [email protected]
Textbook
• James Kurose and Keith Ross,
Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach,
8th Edition
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-668155-7,
ISBN-10: 0-13-668155-7
Course Schedule
Week Topics Chapter
1 Introduction, Layered Architecture 1
2 Application Layer Protocols, HTTP Overview 2
3 SMTP, DNS 2
4 Transport Layer, TCP, UDP Overview 3
5 Reliable Data Transfer, Congestion Control 3
6 Network Layer, Routers 4
7 IPv4, IPv6, Midterm Exam 4
8 Routing Algorithms, OSPF, BGP 5
9 SDN, ICMP, SNMP 5
10 Link Layer, Error Detection, Multiple Access 6
11 Switched LAN, Ethernet 6
12 Wireless and Mobile Networks 7
13 Cryptography Concepts, Authentication Protocol 8
14 PGP, SSL, IPSec, VPN 8
15 Review and Final Exam
Course Assessment
65% Homeworks and Projects
15% Midterm Exam
20% Final Exam
Grading Policy
A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
F = 59% or Below
The Internet
• Network of networks
• Wider network for communicating and sharing
information
• Network Edge: a) Hosts
b) Access Networks
• Network Core: Packet switches: forwards packets
- routers, switches
The Internet
Internet-connected devices
Protocols
• Set of rules that determines how data will be
transmitted among the devices
• Examples: HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
TCP: Transmission Control Protocol
UDP: User Datagram Protocol
• IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force
- Organization that defines the protocols
• RFC: Request For Comments
- standards or protocols published in RFCs
Access Networks
• Residential Access Networks
• Institutional Access Networks (school, company)
• Mobile Access Networks (WiFi, 4G/ 5G)
Residential Access Networks
• As of 2020, more than 80% of the households in
Europe and the USA have Internet access [Statista
2019]
• Two most prevalent types of broadband residential
access:
a) DSL: Digital Subscriber Line
b) Cable-based access
• Other types:
c) FTTH: fiber to the home
Cable-based Access
• HFC: Hybrid fiber-coaxial
- Fiberoptic trunk
- coaxial cable for distribution to subscriber
Asymmetric:
Downstream transmission rate: 40 Mbps to 1.2 Gbps
Upstream transmission rate: 30 to 100 Mbps
Wireless Access Networks
• WiFi – IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- Range: 10m to 100 m
- 11, 54, 450 Mbps transmission rate
• Wide-area Cellular Access Networks
- Provided by cellular network operator
- Range: 10’s kms
- 10’s Mbps per user
Enterprise Access Networks
• Companies, universities etc.
• Mix of wired and wireless link technology
- Ethernet: wired access at 100 Mbps, 1Gbps, 10 Gbps
- WiFi: wireless access points at 11, 54, 450 Mbps
Enterprise link to
ISP (Internet)
institutional router
Ethernet institutional mail,
switch web servers
Links: Physical Media
• Twisted pair: Two insulated copper wire
• Coaxial cable: Two concentric copper conductors
• Fiber optic cable: Glass fiber carrying light pulses.
- high-speed data transmission
- low error rate
• Wireless LAN (WiFi)
• Wide area radio link: 4G Cellular
• Bluetooth
• Satellite
