Ateneo - UPO

The course explain how a device network works from the application layer until the network layer following the TCP/IP's iso/osi stack. Aspects relating to local area network architectures will also be covered, including wireless networks and network-based multimedia services.

Author: James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross Title: RETI DI CALCOLATORI E INTERNET - Un approccio top-down 8/ed, Casa editrice: Addison Wesley (2022), ISBN 9788891916013.

Understand how devices connected via networks can communicate each other.
To learn the main techniques and protocols on which wired and wireless Local Area Networks are based.
To learn the main properties and the specific protocols of the net-based multimedia applications.

The student should know the topics proposed in the Computer Architecture and Operating Systems courses

Lessons in class and in the computer lab. During the course, students will be proposed assignments for both theory and practice parts.

All along the course self-evaluation exercises are proposed to assess understanding of the concepts and of the technical aspects.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage:

https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities

Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Reti I: The exam consists of a written test with 8 questions about the topics of the course: 4 questions about theory (each question with maximum score of 4 points), 2 questions about lab (each question with a maximum score of 4 points) and, finally, 2 questions with exercises (each question with a maximum score of 5 points). The final mark is the sum of the scores assigned to each answer.

Reti II: Written exam divided into three parts (one for each section of the course: wired networks, wireless networks, and multimedia protocols). Each part is further subdivided into questions and exercises.

The final grade takes into account the results achieved in the assessments for both courses (Reti 1 and Reti 2).

Grades are awarded on a scale of thirty, according to the following criteria:
• Not suitable
Knowledge and understanding of the subject: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies. Analytical and synthesis skills: negligible; frequent generalizations. Use of references: completely inappropriate.
• 18–20
Knowledge and understanding of the subject: very limited; evident flaws. Analytical and synthesis skills: barely sufficient. Use of references: barely appropriate.
• 21–23
Knowledge and understanding of the subject: knowledge is just above the minimum requirement. Analytical and synthesis skills: fair analytical and synthesis abilities; arguments are logical and coherent. Use of references: uses standard references.
• 24–26
Knowledge and understanding of the subject: good knowledge. Analytical and synthesis skills: good analytical and synthesis abilities; arguments are presented coherently. Use of references: uses standard references.
• 27–29
Knowledge and understanding of the subject: very good knowledge. Analytical and synthesis skills: strong analytical and synthesis abilities. Use of references: in-depth exploration of the subject matter.
• 30–30 cum laude
Knowledge and understanding of the subject: excellent knowledge. Analytical and synthesis skills: strong analytical and synthesis abilities. Use of references: significant in-depth analysis.

The course deals with the following:
- Intuitive introduction to the network describing in a qualitative way its structure and functionalities.
- Application level: protocols for e-mail, web and DNS.
- Session level: socket and socket programming.
- Transport level: protocols TCP and UDP
- Network level: protocols IP and ICMP
- Routing protocols: routing algorithms, notion of Autonomous System, protocols RIP, OSPF, BGP.
- Link layer: Data link, ARP, error detection and correction
- Introduction to wired networks: Multiple access techniques, Ethernet protocols (bus and switched)
- Introduction to wireless networks: Radio signal transmission, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols, 4G and 5G mobile networks
- Multimedia transmission over the Internet: Audio and video streaming, video conferencing protocols

Besides the description of the mentioned protocols, the course aims at endowing the student with a direct experience on management of computer networks and the related issues.
Therefore, part of the course consists of practical lessons in which the student is given exercises to complete in lab hours or as a homework.

To reach the minimum required levels of knowledge associated to the course, and the corresponding skills, the student is required to have a suitable understanding and knowledge of:

- the structure of the Internet and any modern computer network,
- the design choices needed to create and manage a large-scale data transmission system,
- the main techniques used for error recovery and to achieve a reliable data transfer
- the general communication and programming structures used by distributed client-server applications,
- the theoretical and physical mechanisms underlying a communication system and the main protocols underpinning a computer network,
- the structure of a local area network to identify collision domain boundaries and their associated performance, and to trace the flow of data and control messages,
- the multimedia transmission strategies (e.g., buffering, bitrate adaptation) based on the performance and limitations of the transmission channel.

At the end of the course the student should be able to identify the key aspects of a data communication network, and to have a general understanding of the workings of the Internet and any network based on the IP technology, with the skill to apply these understandings to everyday scenarios. They will also be able to understand the communication dynamics behind the distributed software applications.