EC3710 Computer Communications Methods

The course objective is to develop an understanding of computer communications networks with emphasis on the requirements of military environments and the U.S. Navy's combat platforms. Coverage includes the essential topics of network topology, connectivity, queuing delay, message throughput, and performance analysis. The layered network architectures, such as the seven-layer OSI model and DoD's TCP/IP protocol suite, are covered. The techniques and protocols used in these layers are discussed. Local area networking technologies such as Ethernet, FDDI and wireless Ethernet, and wide area technologies such as X.25 and frame relay are covered. Principles of networking devices (hubs, switches, and routers) are presented. Some distributed applications are presented briefly.

Lecture Hours

3

Lab Hours

2

Course Learning Outcomes

·       The student will be able to list the widely used data communications protocols and standards organizations and expand commonly used data communications acronyms.

·       The student will be able to list the various transmission media and line coding and modulation techniques, define point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links, and delineate the line duplexity and mode of transmission (synchronous an asynchronous).

·       The student will be able to list the tenets of information security and provide examples of how these tenets are addressed at each layer of the network architecture.

·       Given the parameters of the window length and file size, the student will be able to develop a flow control scheme and illustrate its function with the help of schematic diagrams.

·       Given a CRC polynomial and a data sequence, the student will be able to compute the frame check sum and determine if a received sequence of bits have a any errors.

·       The student will be able to create a model of the network in OPNET and run a simulation to experiment with the various parameters of the scheme.

·       Given the transmission capacity of the channel, its physical distance, and the frame size, the student will be able to determine the line utilization (with and without error control) of the Ethernet and Token Ring LANs.

·       Given a local area network topology, the student will be able to select the appropriate networking devices (hubs, bridges, switches and routers) in order to build a data network.

·       Given a wide area network topology, the student will be able to select the appropriate WAN technology and protocols (HDLC, PPP).

·       Given an address range, the student will be able to design an addressing scheme for an IP based network.

·       Given the packet size and network frame size limitations, the student will be able to develop a fragmentation and reassembly scheme for TCP/IP implementations.