BIT Network and Data Communications

Unit 1: Fundamental of Data Communication (6 Hrs.)

Components, Data Representation, Data Flow, Distributed Processing, Network Criteria, Physical Structures, Network Models, Categories of Networks; Basic Concepts about Bridge, Hub, Switch, Router, NIC, MAC-address, Gateway; The Internet, Protocols and Standards, OSI, TCP/IP; Addressing.

Unit 2: Physical Layer and Media (12 Hrs.)

Analog and Digital; Periodic Analog Signals, Digital Signals; Basic Concepts about Noise, Distortion, Attenuation, Nyquist Bit Rate, Shannon Capacity, Bandwidth, Throughput, Latency; Conversion: Analog to Analog, Digital to Digital, Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog; Transmission modes; Multiplexing: Time Division Multiplexing, Frequency Division Multiplexing, Wavelength Division Multiplexing; Guided Media, Unguided Media; Switching: Circuit Switching and Packet Switching.

Unit 3: Data Link Layer (8 Hrs.)

Functionality of Data Link Layer; Error detection and Correction: Introduction, Block Coding, Linear Block Codes, Cyclic codes, Checksum; Data Link Control: Framing, Flow and Error Control, Protocols, Noiseless Channels, Noisy Channels; Multiple Access: Random Access, ALOHA, Controlled Access; Basic concepts about Cellular telephony and Satellite network.

Unit 4: Network Layer (8 Hrs.)

Functionality of Network Layer; Internetworking; IPv4, IPv6; Directing; Forwarding; Routing: Static vs. Dynamic Routing; Routing Algorithms: Shortest-path, Flooding, Flow-based, Distance-vector, Link-state; Congestion control and prevention: Leaky-bucket algorithm, Token-bucket algorithm; Network layer protocols: IP, NAT, ICMP, IGMP, RIP, ARP, RARP, OSPF, IGRP, EIGRP, BGP.

Unit 5: Transport Layer (6 Hrs.)

Functionality of Transport layer; Client Server Paradigm, Multiplexing and De-multiplexing, Connectionless vs. Connection Oriented Service, Reliable vs. Unreliable; Basic Overview of TCP and UDP; Congestion Control and Quality of Service: Network Performance; Congestion Control: Open-loop and Closed loop.

Unit 6: Application Layer (5 Hrs.)

Functionality of Application Layer; Domain Name System: Namespace, Domain Name Space, Distribution of Name Space, DNS in the Internet: Generic Domains, Country Domains, Inverse Domain, Resolution: Resolver, Mapping Names to Addresses, Address to Names, Recursive Resolution, Caching; Electronic mail: SMTP, POP, IMAP; File transfer: FTP, Telnet; Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), HTTP, WWW, SNMP.

Students should be able to configure network hardware and software; should be able to design and set up networks by using simulators and devices.