INFS 612 - Communication Networks S '15 (Stough)

Instructor:
Dr. Joshua Stough
jstough@gmu.edu
(919) 357-0604
Office Hours: Mondays 4:30-6:30PM, Nguyen Engineering Building, Room 5306

TA:
Maofei Chen
mchen18@masonlive.gmu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays 2:00-4:00PM, Nguyen Building 5321

INFS 612 Principles and Practices of Communication Networks (3:3:0). Prerequisites: INFS 501, 515, 519, and SWE 510; or equivalent. This course introduces the principles of computer networks and their applications to the Internet. Details of layering, protocols, performance, resource allocation, management, security and other contemporary issues related to networks are discussed. Examples of the course material are protocols such as HTTP(S), DNS, TCP/IP, RSVP, SNMP, algorithms such as Dijkstra's link state routing, security measures such as firewalls and encryption, principles behind them and analysis of their performance. No substitutions can be made for this class.

Class: Mondays 7:20-10PM, Innovation Hall 134. 1/26 - 5/11

Instructor: Dr. Joshua Stough jstough@gmu.edu (919) 357-0604 Office Hours: Mondays 4:30-6:30PM, Nguyen Engineering Building, Room 5306

• Understand the principles of computer networking.
• Speak intelligently about the architecture of the Internet, tiered providers, CDNs, VPNs.
• Understand the function of each layer in the Internet protocol stack (physical-link-network-transport-application).
• Understand (apply, implement, expound upon) critical Internet protocols, such as TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, SMTP, ...
• Develop some socket-programming experience in Python, along with relevant data structures.

Required Materials:

• Text: Kurose/Ross, Computer Networks: A Top-Down Approach, 6/E. Available at the bookstore: http://goo.gl/88aC8N
• Text companion website: http://goo.gl/O7yzil
• A Internet-connected computer with the Python programming language.I recommend the Spyder development environment within Anaconda distribution available through Continuum (though maybe it's overkill for our limited purposes): https://store.continuum.io/cshop/anaconda/

Grading:

• Grading: assignments (30%), group research/writing project (15%), midterm (15%), final (25%), quizzes (10%), participation (5%)
• Collaboration on assignments is encouraged. During your group project, please work only within your group. tests/quizzes are individual only unless otherwise specified.

Accommodation: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.

Schedule: