CSC 573 Internet Protocols

3 Credit Hours

(also offered as ECE 573)

This course deals with the principles and issues underlying the provision of wide area connectivity through the interconnection of autonomous networks. Emphasis will be placed on Internet architecture and protocols as they are today and as they are likely to evolve in the future. Case studies of particular protocols will demonstrate how fundamental principles are applied in practice. They will also provide the opportunity to practice a critical skill: shifting through details for the key idea. The functional requirements of internetworking will be motivated by selected examples of networked client/server applications. The project will give you a firsthand experience in building networked applications and/or in analyzing and evaluating the performance of protocols and applications.

Prerequisite

CSC/ECE 570 Computer Networks recommended but not required. Programming experience in C/C++ or Java or other such programming language is required.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of the course you should be able to:

1. demonstrate understanding of the fundamental problems, tradeoffs, and design issues that arise in internetworking, as well as identify and critically evaluate internet technologies, solution approaches, and design methodologies for future network architectures;
2. understand the details of several particular protocols, as example implementations of fundamental principles, and digest descriptions of specific protocols, extracting the fundamental concepts;
3. design and implement complex networked applications, protocols, and algorithms, and use the socket interface;
4. apply basic concepts to new networking environments; and
5. (optionally) engage in original research in the area of computer networks.

Course Requirements

Throughout the course, the students are expected to perform five to six written homework assignments and one course project. There will be two midterms and one final exam.

Textbook

Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach – James Kurose, Keith Ross, Edition: 7th. ISBN: 0133594149

Computer and Software Requirements

Click here to review minimum specifications recommended by NC State University and Engineering Online.