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This a course on computer networking. The course is divided into eight sections. See the schedule for details.
The prerequisite for CS 414 is Computer Architecture (CS 286). A good understanding of operating systems (CS 438) is helpful, as is some programming experience (CS 175–176) and data structures and algorithms (CS 305).
The co-requisite for CS 514 is Theoretical Foundations of Computer Science (CS 502). A good understanding of operating systems (CS 505) is helpful, as is some programming experience (computer programming essentials (CS 501A) at least, program development (CS 501B) is better, data structures and algorithms (CS 503) is best).
The class meets in Howard Hall 305 (the Apple lab; I’m trying to find another classroom) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 pm to 6:20 pm. Classes start on Wednesday, 22 January. There is no class on Monday and Wednesday, 17 and 19 March (Spring Break). Undergraduate mid-term grades are due on Tuesday, 11 March; the last day for withdrawing from the class with a W is Monday, 31 March. Classes end on Monday, 5 May.
Learn about computer network design, implementation, and operation. Emphasis placed on a top-down, software-oriented view of the full ISO OSI network reference model, as well as developing areas of network application.
Diligence and perseverance in this class should move you in a direction to eventually be able toThere are six tests, one at the end of every section except the first and last sections. Tests are given in class, and are closed book with one page of notes allowed; calculators and computers are not necessary. The tests are cumulative, covering everything in the readings up to and including the section containing the test. The whole class period is allocated to the test; once you finish the test, you may leave. Test answers will be made available off the schedule. There are no mid-term or final exams.
Each test has six questions, each question is worth a maximum of eight points for a maximum total of 48 points per test. The grade range is scaled to the 48-point maximum:
42 < A 36 < A– ≤ 42 30 < B+ ≤ 36 24 < B ≤ 30 18 < B– ≤ 24 12 < C+ ≤ 18 6 < C ≤ 12 0 < C– ≤ 6 F ≤ 0
This grade range applies to both CS 414 and CS 514.
The final grade is a straight, unweighted average of the four highest test grades — the two lowest test grades are dropped. The final grade comprises four grades total; each constituent grade constitutes one-quarter (25%) of your final grade.
All grades are kept with one digit of precision to the right of the decimal point and 0.05 rounded up. No grades are adjusted to a curve; that means that 89.9 is always B+, never an A-.
Pop quizzes occur spontaneously. A pop quiz is no more than five minutes long, and is given as soon as the class period starts. A pop-quiz grade ranges from 0 to 5 (inclusive on both ends) and is unappealable; see the pop-quiz rules for full details.
There are many computer networks textbooks, all more or less the same. This course has a textbook, but it doesn’t have an assigned textbook. Instead, pick a textbook or two you’re comfortable with. As a first cut, compare the book’s table of contents with the schedule to make sure the topics mentioned in the schedule appear in the table of contents. You can glean further advice from a small annotated bibliography of computer networks books.
Please do not interpret “There’s no assigned textbook for this course” to mean “Great! I don’t need a textbook.” Absorbing everything you need to know from lectures won’t be possible, not the least because there won’t be time to cover everything in lectures. Working it out over a textbook or two will give you the time and space to learn what you need to know. In addition, the tests are written assuming knowledge found in basic computer networks textbooks.
Lecture notes and reading assignments were prepared using Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by James Kurose and Keith Ross. If you have no idea what to do, you should at least get a copy of this book.
Mail relevant to the class will be stored in a
hyper-mail
archive ( tinyurl.com/mucscns14m ). If your message is of general interest to the
class, I’ll store it, suitably stripped of identification and along
with my answer, in the archive.
www.monmouth.edu/~rclayton/web-pages/s14-cn/index.html ( tinyurl.com/mucscns14h
). Tests will be available off the schedule at
www.monmouth.edu/~rclayton/web-pages/s14-cn/schedule.html (
tinyurl.com/mucscns14s ); you should get in the habit of checking the schedule regularly.
twitter.com/mucscn ).
My attendance policy applies only to lecture attendance; it does not apply to other kinds of attendance which may be required for the course. Repeated failures to meet the attendance expectations set for tests, meetings, projects, labs or other forms of course work will have a bad influence on your grade.
Monmouth University does have a class attendance policy, which you can find in the Academic Information chapter of the Student Handbook. To the extent that I need to keep the record straight, I will take attendance. Attendance lists, however, are entirely for the University’s benefit; I will make no use of them in grading.
First, the only complaint that matters is that something got marked wrong when it was actually right. When you come to complain, be prepared to present, in explicit detail, what it is you did and why you think it’s right.
Second, complaints about a particular test or assignment are only valid until the next test or assignment is due; after that point the book is permanently closed on all previous test or assignment grades.
Learn computer networks from the comfort of your home courtesy of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at MIT and OpenCourseWare.
Computer Networking: Principles, Protocols and Practice, a free, open source (kinda) networking textbook along the lines of Kurose and Ross.
A video series on networking fundamentals from Channel 9 at Microsoft.
Another video series on networking from The New Boston.
The last time I taught this course.