Indicative contents

• Network Models, Network basics, Protocols and standards, Topologies, Layered tasks, OSI Reference model, TCP/IP model. Duties of all the 7 layers in OSI reference model. Understanding TCP/IP protocol suite. OSI Model Vs TCP/IP Model.
• Physical layer tasks and protocols, Signaling, Digital/Analog Transmission, Multiplexing, Transmission Media, DSL Technology, modems and modem standards; LAN characteristics and concepts; interconnection of LANs; WAN characteristics and concepts, repeaters.
• Data link layer tasks and protocols, Data link sublayers, error detection and correction, flow control, multiple access techniques, MAC addressing HDLC, PPP, SLIP, Ethernet, virtual LANs, Layer 2 connecting devices (hubs, switches, bridges), backbone networks, ISDN, X.25, Frame Relay, ATM.
• Network layer tasks and protocols, Internetworking, IP addressing, classful and classless addressing, Subnetting, routing, IPv4, ARP, proxy ARP, Reverse ARP, ICMP, IPv6, ICMPv6, DHCP, BOOTP, unicast and multicast routing, IGMP, routing protocols, RIP, OSPF, BGP, routers and layer three switches.
• Transport layer tasks and protocols, Client-Server paradigm, connectionless Vs connection oriented service, UDP datagram, port numbers, TCP header, port numbers, connection establishment, management, termination, flow control, error control, and congestion control.
• Application layer tasks and protocols, Application program interfaces, DNS, DDNS, NIS, LDAP, FTP, SMTP, MIME, SNMP, WWW, HTTP, TELNET.
• DiffServ, Per-hop behavior (PHB), MPLS, Virtual local area networks (VLANs)
• Multimedia Protocols: RTP, RTCP, VoIP, SIP.
• General Operating System concepts, Testing/validation concepts.

Module Resources

• Essential reading
  1. Course notes
• Recommended Reading
  1. Behrouz A.Forouzan: “Data Communications and Networking” 3rd edition, Tata McGraw-Hill, 0-07-058408
  2. D. E. Comer, “Computer Networks and Internets”, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA, 2nd Edition, 1999
  3. L. L. Peterson and B. S. Davie, “Computer Networks: A Systems Approach”, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2nd Edition, 1999
  4. Ralf Steinmetz, Klara Nahrstedt “Multimedia Computing, Communications and Applications” 1st edition, Pearson education Asia, ISBN: 81-7808-319-1, 2001