University of Maryland Baltimore County

Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

CMSC 481-101, Fall 2023

Computer Networks

Monday and Wednesday 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM, SOND 103

Course Information

Instructor and TA Contact Information

Course Syllabus

Grade structure and policy

Lecture notes

Assignments

Projects

Links

Course Instructor

Dr. Mohamed Younis

Office: ITE 318

E-mail: younis@cs.umbc.edu

URL:    http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~younis

Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

Research interest:

Wireless Ad-hoc and Sensor Networks, Security, Underwater communications, Fault tolerant computing and communication, Cyber-physical systems, and Vehicular networks

Teaching assistant

Mr. Hemanth Rao Bompally

Office: ITE 334

E-mail: hemantb1@umbc.edu

Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 12:00PM - 1:00 PM

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Course Syllabus

Textbook:

Computer Networks, Six Edition Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Nick Feamster, and David J. Wetherall Pearson, ISBN 9780137523214

Course Outline

1. INTRODUCTION

- Applications of Computer Networks

- Network Hardware (Local, Metropolitan, Wide, Wireless, ..)

- Network Software (Protocol layers, Service Primitives, ...)

- Reference Models (OSI, TCP/IP, ...)

- Example Networks (Internet, Ethernet, Wireless LANs, etc.)

- Network Standardization

2. THE PHYSICAL LAYER

- Basics of Data Communication

- Transmission Media

- Wireless Transmission

- Communication Satellites

- Public Switched Telephone Networks

- Cell and Cable networks

3. THE DATA LINK LAYER

- Design and Interface Issues

- Error Detection and Correction

- Elementary and Sophisticated Protocols

- Protocol Verification

4. MEDIUM ACCESS CONTROL

- Channel Allocation Problem

- Multiple Access Arbitration

- Example Protocols

5. THE NETWORK LAYER

- Design Issues

- Routing Algorithms

- Congestion Control Algorithms

- Quality of Service

- Internetworking

6. THE TRANSPORT LAYER

- The Transport Service

- Internet Transport Protocols: UDP & TCP

- Performance Issues

8. THE APPLICATION LAYER

- DNS-Domain Name System

- Electronic Mail

- World Wide Web

- Multimedia (Time Permitting)

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Grade Structure and Policy

Course work	Grade distribution
Midterm exam	25%
Final exam	25%
Project	25%
Homework	25%

- Three problem sets will be assigned and their average is to be normalized to %15 of the final grade

- One programming assignment will be given toward the end of the semester contributing 10% to the final grade

- Assignments are due in class. Late assignments are not accepted.

- The Final Exam is comprehensive covering all what is covered in class

- The project involves building a network simulator and using it to study the performance of under varying load and configurations

Course grade	Range
A	90% - 100%
B	80% -89.9%
C	70% -79.9%
D	60% - 69.9%

- Copying/cheating will result in a minimum punishment of a zero grade for the assignment or project. 

- Academic Integrity Statement:

"By enrolling is this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UMBC's scholarly community in which everyone's academic work and behavior and held to the highest standards of honesty.Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong. Academic misconduct could result in disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, suspension or dismissal. More information can be found here."

- Accessibility and Disability Accommodations, Guidance and Resources:

"Accommodations for students with disabilities are provided for all students with a qualified disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA & ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act who request and are eligible for accommodations. The Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) is the UMBC department designated to coordinate accommodations that creates equal access for students when barriers to participation exist in University courses, programs, or activities.
If you have a documented disability and need to request academic accommodations in your courses, please refer to the SDS website at sds.umbc.edu for registration information and office procedures. You can also contact SDS office via SDS email: disAbility@umbc.edu or phone: 410-455-2459.
If you will be using SDS approved accommodations in this class, please contact the instructor to discuss implementation of the accommodations. During remote instruction requirements due to COVID, communication and flexibility will be essential for success."

- Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Gender Based Violence and Discrimination:

"UMBC Policy in addition to federal and state law (to include Title IX) prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in University programs and activities. Any student who is impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, gender-based harassment, or related retaliation should contact the University's Title IX Coordinator to make a report and/or access support and resources. The Title IX Coordinator can be reached at titleixcoordinator@umbc.edu or 410-455-1717.
You can access support and resources even if you do not want to take any further action. You will not be forced to file a formal complaint or police report. Please be aware that the University may take action on its own if essential to protect the safety of the community.
If you are interested in making a report, please use the Online Reporting/Referral Form. Please note that, if you report anonymously, the University's ability to respond will be limited."

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Lecture notes

Lecture	Date	Subject
1	August 30, 2023	Introduction and overview
2	September 6, 2023	Network Software & Reference Models
3	September 11, 2023	Reference Models and Example of famous Networks
4	September 13, 2023	Basics of Data Communication
5	September 18, 2023	Public Telephone Network
6	September 20, 2023	Mobile Phone and Cable Networks
7	September 25, 2023	Physical Layer (Cont.)
8	September 27, 2023	The Data Link Layer
9	October 2, 2023	Data Link Layer Protocols
10	October 4, 2023	Data Link Layer Protocols (Cont.)
11	October 9, 2023	Medium Access Control
12	October 11, 2023	Medium Access Control (Cont.)
13	October 16, 2023	MAC for Wired and Wireless LANs
14	October 18, 2023	Class Project
15	October 23, 2023	Wireless Networks
16	October 25, 2023	Midterm exam
17	October 30, 2023	Internetworking Technology
18	November 1, 2023	Internetworking Technology (Cont.)
19	November 6, 2023	The Network Layer
20	November 8, 2023	Routing Protocols
21	November 13, 2023	Handling Mobile Nodes
22	November 15, 2023	Congestion Control and QoS
23	November 20, 2023	The Network Layer of the Internet
24	November 22, 2023	The IP Protocol
25	November 27, 2023	The Transport Layer
26	November 29, 2023	Elements of Transport Protocol
27	December 4, 2023	The TCP and UDP Protocols
28	December 6, 2023	The Application Layer
29	December 11, 2023	Review
30	December 20, 2023	Final exam (1:00 PM-3:00 PM)

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Assignment

Assignment	Date Out	Due Date
Assignment #1	September 20, 2023	September 27, 2023
Assignment #2	October 4, 2023	October 11, 2023
Assignment #3	November 15, 2023	November 22, 2023
Assignment #4	November 27, 2023	December 8, 2023

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Projects

Project	Date Out	Due Date
Project	October 16, 2023	November 20, 2023

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Links

- Textbook Related Videos

- Socket Programming Tutorial

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Last Revised: November 24^th, 2023