Course Description

The course introduces data communications and networking and a communication of protocols in
OSI and the TCP/IP protocol suite. It covers the physical layer, data link layer, and introduces to the
network layer of the TCP/IP protocol suite. It also covers the concept of Digital Data Transmission,
Modes of Data transmission, transmission media, Signal Encoding Techniques, Error Detection and
Correction, flow Control and Error Control, Multiplexing, Routing Algorithms, switching and
Ethernet technology are covered is this course.

Learning outcome
At the end of this course, students shall able to:
 Discuss concepts of communication and various techniques used for communication
 Explain the TCP/IP and OSI reference model useful for communication
 Explain how physical layer protocols and services support communications across data
networks.
 Explain the role of the data link layer in supporting communications across data networks.
 Define the key aspects of transmission, interfacing, link control, and multiplexing.
 Elaborate the concept of packet switching and circuit switching.
 List and discuss the characteristics and operation of Ethernet

Method of Delivery
Lecture, Group Discussions, Laboratory Exercise, Course Assignments, Course Projects

Course Outline
Chapter 1: Introduction
Communication networks: Internetworking basics, network devices - repeater/hub (layer 1
devices) and bridge / switch (layer 2 devices);
Computer Network Models: Layered Tasks; OSI model – application layer, presentation layer,
session layer, transport layer, network layer, data link layer, physical layer; Internet Model – the
TCP/IP protocol suite – application layer, transport layer, network layer, data link layer, physical
layer;
Computer network types: Personal area network (PAN) – Bluetooth; Local area network (LAN);
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN); Wide Area Network (WAN); Internetwork/internet;
Computer Network Topologies: Point-to-Point, Bus topology; Star topology; Ring topology; Mesh
topology; Tree topology; Daisy Chain; Hybrid Topology;
Chapter 2: Physical layer
Introduction: Signals - Digital and analog; transmission Impairment – Attenuation, Dispersion,
Delay distortion; Noise - Thermal Noise, Intermodulation, Crosstalk, Impulse; Transmission Media -
Guided Media, Unguided Media; Channel Capacity – Bandwidth, Error-rate, encoding; Multiplexing;
Switching - Circuit switching, message switching, packet switching
Digital Transmission: Digital-to-Digital Conversion;
Line Coding: Uni-polar Encoding; Polar Encoding - Polar Non-Return to Zero (Polar NRZ), Return to
Zero (RZ), Manchester, Differential Manchester; Bipolar Encoding
Block Coding: Division, Substitution, Combination
Analog-to-Digital Conversion: Sampling, Quantization, Encoding.
Transmission Modes: Parallel Transmission, Serial Transmission, Asynchronous Serial
Transmission, Synchronous Serial Transmission,
Analog Transmission: Digital-to-Analog Conversion - Amplitude Shift Keying, Frequency Shift
Keying, Phase Shift Keying, Quadrature Phase Shift Keying; Analog-to-Analog Conversion -
Amplitude Modulation, Frequency Modulation, Phase Modulation,
Transmission Media: Magnetic Media; Twisted Pair Cable - Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable,
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable; Coaxial Cable; Power Lines - Narrow band PLC, Broad band
PLC; Fiber Optics;
Wireless Transmission: Radio Transmission, Microwave Transmission, Infrared Transmission, Light
Transmission,
Multiplexing: Frequency Division Multiplexing, Time Division Multiplexing, Wavelength Division
Multiplexing, Code Division Multiplexing
Network Switching: switching – Connectionless, Connection Oriented; Circuit Switching; Message
Switching; Packet Switching;
Ethernet Cabling: Ethernet, Fast-Ethernet, Giga-Ethernet, Virtual LAN, straight through cable,
crossover, and rolled cable

Chapter 3: Data link layer

Introduction: Logical Link Control, Media Access Control; Encapsulation, Functionality of Data-link
Layer – framing, addressing, synchronization, error control, flow control, multi-access; Error
Encapsulation and Ethernet Addressing
Error Detection & Correction: Types of errors – single-bit error, multiple bits error, burst error;
Error detection – parity check, Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC); Error correction - Backward Error
Correction, Forward Error Correction
Data-link Control & Protocols: flow control – stop and wait, sliding window; Error control – error
detection, positive ACK, negative ACK, retransmission; Error control techniques – Stop-and-wait
Automatic Repeat Requests (ARQ), Go-Back-N ARQ, Selective Repeat ARQ

Chapter 4: Ethernet Technologies

LAN Topologies - Media access control - Multiple Access Protocols: ALOHA, Pure and Slotted ALOHA
- Carrier Sense Transmission: CSMA/CD, CSMA/CA - The Ethernet Frame Format - Collision Free
protocols (Adaptive Tree Walk Algorithm) - Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) in LAN - Token
Ring and Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) - Wireless LAN, Bridges and LAN Switches

Chapter 5: Circuit Switching and Packet switching

Circuit Switching: Switched Communications Networks- Circuit Switching Networks - Circuit
Switching Concepts Routing in Circuit Switching Network: Alternate Routing and Adaptive Routing,
Control Signaling.
Packet Switching: Packet Switching Principles Routing in Packet Switching Networks - Routing
Strategies: Fixed Routing, Flooding Routing, Random Routing, and Adaptive Routing - Least Cost
Algorithms: Dijkstra’s algorithm & Bellman-Ford algorithm Frame Relay and X.25: Protocol
Architecture - Frame Relay Call Control - User Data Transfer -Network Function Congestion Control
in Data Networks: Effects of Congestion, Congestion ff Control, Tra c Management, Congestion
Control in Packet-Switching Networks, Frame Relay ffi Congestion Control

Chapter 6: Introduction to Networks and IP Addressing

Introduction to Networks: What is a network? The process of communication over networks, The
Internet - A brief history of the Internet, Impact of the Internet on our society, Overview of the
TCP/IP Protocol suite IPv4 Addressing: What is an IP Address, Classful IP addressing, Special IP
Address, Subnetting and Super netting, An overview of Classless addressing

Assessment/Evaluation
 Continuous assessment: homework, quizzes, mid-term exam, laboratory exercises, project
 Final Exam

Textbook
William Stallings, “Data & Computer Communication,” 10th edition, P. Prentice Hall,2013

References
1. Andrew Tanenbaum, Computer Networks,5th, Prentice Hall, 19996
 2. Behrouz Forouzan, Data Communications and Networking, 5th edition, McGraw - Hill, 2012

Jerry Fitzgerald and Alan Dennis, Business Data Communications and Networking, 11th