International Islamic University Islamabad

Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering

Course Code CS374
Course Title Computer Networks
Credit Hours/Contact hours 3 + 1 (4 hours/week)
Degree Program BS (Software Engineering / Information Technology) F19
Prerequisites None
Instructor Dr. Qaisar Javaid Status: Assistant Professor
Instructor Email qaisar@iiu.edu.pk

1. Course Introduction
This course presents an overview of the technology, architecture and software used by systems of network connected computers. The
course will cover data transmission, local area network architecture, network protocols, inter-networking, distributed systems, security,
and World Wide Web technology. Students will write programs that run concurrently on multiple computers.

2. Lecture Plan

Textbook  DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING Fourth Edition by Behrouz A. Forouzan

DeAnza College with Sophia Chung Fegan
Reference Material Book Title: Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet
(Books/Notes/Case
studies) Author: James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross
Edition: sixth edition
ISBN: 978-0-13-285620-1
Publisher: PEARSON
Web Resources Course Web Page: N/A
Course Objectives 1. Independently understand basic computer network technology.
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 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. Familiarity with the basic protocols of computer networks, and how they can be used to assist in network
design and implementation.
Course Learning After completing this course, the student shall be able to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to:
Outcomes  Define Computer Networks, name uses of Computer Networks, and list the basic components of a
Network system.
 Describe other pieces of hardware and software which make networks more efficient, faster, more secure,
easier to use, able to transmit several simultaneous messages, and able to interconnect with other
networks.
 Explain the basic technical concepts of Computer Networks.
 Differentiate the various types of network configurations.
 Describe the circuits that are available for voice and data networks, their transmission speeds
(bandwidth), and how they are packaged for commercial use.
 Discuss the importance of adapting a Computer Network offering to meet the changing and challenging
networking needs of organizations.
 Design networks by using manual or hand calculations.
 Define the differences between protocols, software, and network architecture.
 Define the concept of local area networks and describe their use.
 Describe how a local area network is installed, its topologies and its protocols.
 Analyze why networks need security and control, what errors might occur, and how to control network
errors.

Lecture Plan (16 Week Lecture Topic to be covered Learning outcomes Reference Text
Weeks) # #
2
1 1. Introduction of Introduction of Instructor and key DATA
Course concepts used in this course. COMMUNICATIO
2. OSI Model a. Analyze the structure of a network NS AND
b. List the components of a network NETWORKING
c. Define the role of protocols in network Fourth Edition by
communications Behrouz A.
d. List the advantages of using a layered Forouzan DeAnza
1 network model
2 The OSI Model College with Sophia
e. Describe the role of each layer in the
2 The OSI Model
OSI and TCP/IP models Chung Fegan
f. Explain the addressing and naming
schemes used in network
communications
3 1 Transmission Media a. Identify key considerations in
2 Transmission Media selecting transmission media for
4 1. Transmission Media networks.
2. Transmission Media b. Describe various structures that
comprise a network cable plant.
c. Identify the features, functions
and uses of twisted-pair cable.
d. Identify the features, functions
and uses of coaxial cable.
e. Identify the features, functions
and uses of optical-fiber cable.
f. Describe guidelines for the safe
installation of network cable.
g. Identify the features, functions,
and uses of infrared transmission.
h. Identify the features, functions
and uses of short-range wireless
transmission.
i. Identify the features and functions
of microwave transmission.
j. Identify the features and functions
of satellite transmission.
1 IP Addressing
3
5 2. IP Addressing a. To know about IP addressing
b. Elaborate classful and classless
addressing
c. Discuss subnetting and supernetting
6 1. IP Addressing d. Know about IPV4 and IPV6 header
formats
e. Elaborate comparison between them
2. IP Addressing

7 1 Switching a. The first section introduces switching. It Switching is

mentions three methods of switching: discussed in [Sta04]
circuit switching, packet switching, and and [GW04]. Circuit-
message switching. The section then switching is fully
2 Switching defines the switching methods that can discussed in [BEL01].
occur in some layers of the Internet
model.
b. The second section discusses circuit-
8 1 Switching switched networks. It first defines three
phases in these types of networks. It then
describes the efficiency of these
networks. The section also discusses the
delay in circuit-switched networks.
2 Switching
c. The third section briefly discusses
packet-switched networks. It first
describes datagram networks, listing
their characteristics and advantages. The
section then describes virtual circuit
networks, explaining their features and
operations. We will discuss packet-
switched networks in more detail in
Chapter 18.
d. The last section discusses the structure
of a switch. It first describes the
structure of a circuit switch. It then
explains the structure of a packet switch.
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 9 Mid-Semester Exam
10 1. Routing a. The first section introduces the concept Books Several
2. Routing of unicast routing and describes the books give
general ideas behind it. The section thorough coverage
then describes least-cost routing and of materials
least-cost trees. discussed in this
1. Routing b. The second section discusses common chapter. We
11
routing algorithms used in the Internet. recommend [Com
2. Routing
The section first describes distance- 06], [Tan 03],
vector routing. It then describes link- [Koz 05], [Ste 95],
state routing. Finally, it explains path- [GW 04], [Per 00],
vector routing. [Kes 02], [Moy
c. The third section explores unicast- 98], [WZ 01], and
routing protocols corresponding to the [Los 04]. RFCs
unicastrouting algorithms discussed in RIP is discussed in
the second section. This section first RFCs 1058 and
defines the structure of the Internet as 2453. OSPF is
seen by the unicast-routing protocols. It discussed in RFCs
then describes RIP, a protocol that 1583 and 2328.
implements the distance-vector routing BGP is discussed
algorithm. The section next describes in RFCs 1654,
OSPF, a protocol that implements the 1771, 1773, 1997,
link-state routing algorithm. Finally, 2439, 2918, and
the section describes the BGP, a 3392.
protocol that implements the path-
vector routing algorithm.
12 1. Transport Layer a. The first section introduces the idea DATA
2. Transport Layer behind a transport-layer protocol. COMMUNICATI
We first discuss the general services ONS AND
we normally require from the NETWORKING
transport layer, such as process-to- Fourth Edition by
process communication, addressing, Behrouz A.
multiplexing and demultiplexing, Forouzan DeAnza
error, flow, and congestion control. College with
We then show that the transport- Sophia Chung
layer protocols are divided into two Fegan
categories: connectionless and
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 connection-oriented. We discuss the
characteristics of each category and
show the application of each
category.
b. The second section discusses
general transport-layer protocols.
These protocols concentrate on flow
and error control services provided
by an actual transportlayer protocol.
Understanding these protocols helps
us better understand the design of
the transport-layer protocols in the
Internet, such as UDP, TCP, and
SCTP. In this section, we first
describe an imaginary protocol,
which we call the Simple Protocol.
This protocol does not have any
flow or error control provision. We
next introduce the Stop-and-Wait
protocol, which provides flow and
error control but is very inefficient
for a high-speed internet. We then
move to the Go-Back-N protocol,
which is more efficient than the
previous one. Finally, we discuss
the SelectiveRepeat protocol, which
has the characteristics of all
previous protocols and some more

1. Signals a. The first section shows how data and

13 2. Signals signals can be either analog or digital.
Analog refers to an entity that is
continuous; digital refers to an entity
that is discrete.
b. The second section shows that only
periodic analog signals can be used in
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 data communication. The section
discusses simple and composite signals.
The attributes of analog signals such as
period, frequency, and phase are also
explained.
c. The third section shows that only
nonperiodic digital signals can be used
in data communication. The attributes of
a digital signal such as bit rate and bit
length are discussed. We also show how
digital data can be sent using analog
signals. Baseband and broadband
transmission are also discussed in this
section.
d. The fourth section is devoted to
transmission impairment. The section
shows how attenuation, distortion, and
noise can impair a signal.
e. The fifth section discusses the data rate
limit: how many bits per second we can
send with the available channel. The
data rates of noiseless and noisy
channels are examined and compared.
f. The sixth section discusses the
performance of data transmission.
Several channel measurements are
examined including bandwidth,
throughput, latency, and jitter.
Performance is an issue that is revisited
in several future chapters.
14 1. Network Management a. The first section introduces the concept
2 Network of network management and discusses
Management five general areas of network
management: configuration, fault,
performance, security, and accounting.
Configuration management is related to
the status of each entity and its

7
15 1. Network relationship to other entities. Fault
Management management is the area of network
management that handles issues related
to interruptions in the system.
Performance management tries to
monitor and control the network to
ensure that it is running as efficiently as
possible. Security management is
responsible for controlling access to the
network based on predefined policy.
Accounting management is the
controlling of users’ access to network
resources through charges.
b. The second section discusses Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
as a framework for managing devices in
an internet using the TCP/IP protocol
suite. It shows how a manager as a host
runs an SNMP client and any agents as a
router or host runs a server program. The
section defines the three components of
the management protocol in the Internet.
The section also defines Structure of
Management Information (SMI) as the
language that specifies how data types
and objects in SNMP should be
identified. Finally, the section introduces
Management Information Base (MIB),
which designates the objects to be
managed in SNMP according to the
rules defined in SMI.
c. The third section gives a brief discussion
of a standard that provides the methods
and rules to define data and objects. This
section is very brief and only introduces
the subject. Part of it is used by SMI in
the second section.

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 2. Network Security a. Identify some of the factors driving
the need for network security
16 1. Network
Security b. Identify and classify particular
2. Network Security examples of attacks

c. Define the terms vulnerability, threat

and attack

d. Identify physical points of

vulnerability in simple networks

e. Compare and contrast symmetric and

asymmetric encryption systems and
their vulnerability to attack, and
explain the characteristics of hybrid
systems.
17 Final Exam

3. Course Assessment and Weightage

Quizzes 10%
Assignments/Projects 10%
Mid-Term Examination 20%
Final Examination 60%
Total 100

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4. Assessment Timeline

Result Date of
Week # Assignment No. Quiz No.
Assignment/Project/Quiz
1 Topic: Network Models Topic: OSI Model Expected Result Date of
2 Assignment 1: October 18, 2021
3 Expected Due Date Expected Due Date
4 October 18, 2021 October 11, 2021 Expected Result Date of
Quiz 1: October 25, 2021
5 Topic: Digital Transmission Topic: Synchronous and Expected Result Date of
6 Asynchronous Assignment 2: November 8, 2021
7 Expected Due Date Transmission
st
8 November 1 , 2021 Expected Result Date of
Expected Due Date Quiz 2: November 10, 2021
November 3rd, 2021
10 Topic: Switching Topic: Logical Addressing Expected Result Date of
11 Assignment 3: December 7, 2021
12 Expected Due Date Expected Due Date
13 November 30, 2021 December 2nd, 2021 Expected Result Date of
Quiz 3: December 9, 2021
14 Topic: Network Security Topic: Network Expected Result Date of
15 Management Assignment 4: December 27, 2021
16 Expected Due Date
December 20, 2021 Expected Due Date Expected Result Date of
December 22, 2021 Quiz 4: December 29, 2021