Introduction: This group-independent study project will consider both conceptual and practical elements of computer networking, following a seminar format. Participants include five Computer Science Majors who are seniors, under the guidance of faculty member Henry Walker.

Content

• protocols
• National Access Points (NAPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
• history and development of the Internet
• application layer protocols
• transport-layer services and principles
• network service models
• routing principles
• the data-link layer
• local area networks, including protocols, addresses, and topologies
• multimedia networking applications
• security: cryptography, authentication, certification, integrity
• network management
• firewalls, gateways, and packet filtering

Some Special Considerations

Second, this group is small enough, so that the meeting format can provide extensive experience with oral presentations. Almost all upper-level computer science courses include 10 or more students, and most courses have at least 15 students. Such numbers significantly limit the amount of oral work that can be required within a semester. In this study project, the instructor will lead only the first meeting and, perhaps, the last one. Students will be responsible for all other sessions, providing an experience that simply is not possible in regular classes.

Henry M. Walker

Office: Science 2420
Telephone: extension 4208
E-mail: walker@cs.grinnell.edu

Office hours are posted weekly on the bulletin board outside Science 2420, with additional hours possible by appointment. You may reserve a half hour meeting by signing up on the weekly schedule, but please sign up at least a day in advance.

Initial student presentations will follow a comprehensive book on advanced topics in computer networking. Specifically, after analysis of several candidates, the group has chosen Computer Networking: A Top-down Approach Featuring the Internet by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross, Addison-Wesley, 2001 as a primary source. The group also has identified several other books and articles as additional resources.

While the schedule for this course is expected to evolve, a Tentative Class Schedule is available in both .dvi , postscript , and pdf formats.

Also, if you are logged into the departmental network and want a copy printed, click duerer to have a copy printed on the printer duerer, and click pacioli to have a copy printed on the printer pacioli .

This group independent project will be comprised of two components: student presentations and an extended project.

• Student presentations will cover each of the advanced topics in considerable detail. Altogether, each student will present eight 45-minutes talks, building on each other following an agreed-upon schedule. Before the mid-semester break, the group will meet between 9:00 and 11:00 on most Tuesdays and Thursdays, with two presentations scheduled on each day. After the break, the group usually will meet on Tuesdays only, leaving time for students to apply the ideas to projects.

  The student presentations will have two primary goals: topic coverage and development of oral-presentation skills. Since material will be cumulative, and since each student will be speaking every third meeting, students will have to gain considerable mastery of the material so they can present it effectively. Further, students will receive feedback from all participants on each presentation through on-line feedback forms. This constant feedback will allow students to hone their skills considerably.

• Extended Project: During the first half of the semester, readings and discussions will raise issues for further study and experimentation. Some possible issues could be related to response times for network services on the Grinnell campus, routings of messages, approaches for the filtering of e-mail, security measures to discourage hacking, and limitations of privacy in using network browsers. During the presentation of materials, students will maintain a list of possible issues, and select a project title by March 14. Students will investigate their topics, with periodic updates to the group, during the second part of the semester.

This class depends upon the preparation of presenters. If presenters are ill-prepared or absent, the entire group suffers. Extensions are impossible, since the class must stay on schedule. Exchanging of lecture assignments with other class members is possible only with advanced approval from the instructor. Normally, such swapping will require at least 3 days advanced notice.

Presenters with unexpected difficulties should contact the instructor as soon as possible and certainly before the class period that the presentation is scheduled. Failure to do so will have a serious impact on the class and one's semester grade.

Feedback is essential to help presenters improve. Reviews of talks are due within two days of when the talks were given. Failure to submit reviews in a timely manner will seriously affect one's grade.

Exception: Deadlines for reviews are automatically extended at least one class day if MathLAN is down for an unscheduled period of 3 or more hours during the week preceding the assignment due date. (In such cases, however, deadlines for presentations are not extended.)

Absolute Deadline: All projects must be turned in by Friday, May 7 at 5:00 pm.

Since student presentations will make up a significant component of the work, about 2/3 of the final grade will be based on the quality of these presentations. The instructor will use the regular feedback forms as part of determining this component of the grade. Evaluation of work on the project will determine the remaining elements of the grade.

This document is available on the World Wide Web as

     http://www.walker.cs.grinnell.edu/courses/397.sp04/index.html

created January 2, 2004 last revised January 12, 2004
For more information, please contact me at (walker@cs.grinnell.edu)