Comp 443-001, Computer Networks, Fall 2008

Peter Dordal, Loyola University Chicago Dept of Computer Science.

The text is the fourth edition of Peterson & Davie's Computer Networks, A Systems Approach. (The third edition is still ok)

My general course groundrules are here. Exams will count for between 70% to 80% of your grade, with homework and programs making up the rest.

The midterm is tentatively set for ???? (week 8).

Fall 2007 office hours: (tentative)
Mon 11:00-12:00
Fri 10:00-12:00
Other times by appointment; after class is good.
I recommend calling first if you're coming from Lakeshore.

Study guides and materials

Course notes

My Ethernet notes

Programming Project

The material divides naturally into three "tracks" that we will alternate between, at will. Here are the tracks: This looks like the traditional four-layer model (LAN/IP/transit/application), but we're not really abiding by any strict layering. Here is further information about what will be covered in each track:

LAN basics

1.1 basics
1.2 layering
1.3 sockets programming intro
2.1 links basics
2.5 reliable transmission (moved up to accomodate TCP)
3.1 switching and forwarding (moved up to accomodate IP)
2.2 encoding
2.3 framing
2.4 error detection
2.6 Ethernet
3.2 bridged Ethernet
3.3 ATM

IP and routing

4.1 IP basics
4.2 Distance-Vector and Link-State Routing
4.3 Subnets, supernets, BGP, and IPv6; backbone structure; AADS v MAE EAST.

TCP and congestion

5.1 UDP
5.2 TCP
5.3 Remote Procedure Call (blast/chan v Sun) (not done)
6.1 Congestion issues
6.2 Queuing models
6.3 TCP congestion management: Reno and Tahoe
6.4 DECbit, RED, and TCP Vegas
6.5 Reservation-based approaches to congestion (not done)


Class-by-class summary: see the nnotes file, "my course notes", above

The following classic paper has useful information about TCP/IP security: Security Problems in the TCP/IP Protocol Suite by Steve Bellovin.