The required textbook for the course is Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, third edition, by Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie. It is available in the CMU Bookstore. Almost all the material that we will cover is in the textbook.
There are a few recommended texts which are useful references (especially if networking becomes your career). You can get the best price on them by ordering from an on-line bookstore.
Finally, if you have not taken 15-213, you may find its textbook useful as a gentle, software-focused introduction to computer architecture.
This year marks the introduction of a new set of recitations for 15-441. Please select one recitation section to attend (the content will be identical). Recitations will cover systems hacking techniques designed to save you time and pain on the projects, will go into more detail about certain topics such as TCP, and will have review sessions before exams.
Your final grade for the course will be based on the following weights for the individual assignments:
The midterm will be an in-class, closed-book exam, covering all material up to that point in the course. The final exam will be a closed-book exam, covering m aterial from the whole year, with emphasis on the second half of the course.
Project 1 will focus on the implementation of an IRC-like chat server, focusing first on ensuring familiarity with socket programming, and second on an implementation of routing protocols within the application. Project 2 will focus on file transfers and the protocol components necessary for efficient and reliable file transfer (retransmission, congestion control, caching, etc.) All projects are to be done in groups of two students.
The homework will combine both textbook-like questions as well as hands-on experimental exercises. There will be three homework assignments.
Because of the importance of understanding both the theoretical and hands-on elements of networking, students must pass all three components of the course (homeworks, exams, and the projects) in order to receive a passing grade for the course. This does not affect the actual letter grade assignment unless one of the components is not completed to a passing standard.
Also available as an ical file that you can subscribe to. Note that the video links are from Spring 2005 and are provided as a "best match" to the specified lecture, in the hope that they might be useful for review.
| Date | Instructor | Topics | Notes | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 08/29 | DGA | Introduction [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Chapter 1 | |
| Wed 08/30 | DGA/SS | First week of class, no recitation |
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| Thu 08/31 | DGA | Protocol Stacks and Layering [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Start finding project partners! Note the very early checkpoint. | Optional: End to End Arguments in System Design |
| Tue 09/05 | DGA | Application Layer Examples [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project 1 Assigned | 9.2 |
| Wed 09/06 | DGA | Recitation Intro: Overview, version control [pdf] [ps] [ppt] |
Revision control notes [pdf] [ps]. Also see the online Subversion book. |
|
| Thu 09/07 | gnychis | Sockets programming [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] [Video 2] |
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| Tue 09/12 | Steenkiste | Physical Layer, Link Layer Basics [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project 1 checkpoint 1 (version control basics) due | 2.1-2.5 |
| Wed 09/13 | danwent | Makefiles and Project 1 Q& A [pdf] [ps] [ppt] |
Files used in Andrew unix demo [tar.gz]. Also see the some notes on editors. |
|
| Thu 09/14 | Eckhardt | Switching & Flow Control [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Instructors out of town this week | 2.6-2.10 |
| Tue 09/19 | SS | Ethernet [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
3.1-3.2 | |
| Wed 09/20 | DGA | Design: Modularity and Testability [pdf] [ps] [ppt] |
You ain't heard it like this before | |
| Thu 09/21 | SS | IP forwarding & addressing [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
4.1 | |
| Tue 09/26 | SS | IP Packets & Routers [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project 1 checkpoint 2 (standalone IRC server) due | 4.3 |
| Wed 09/27 | danwent | Debugging [pdf] [ppt] |
Techniques and tools. Files: debug macro . Notes on debugging. |
|
| Thu 09/28 | SS | Routing: RIP & OSPF [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
4.2 | |
| Tue 10/03 | SS | Multicast [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
4.4 | |
| Wed 10/04 | vyass | Automation [pdf] [ppt] |
Time to learn Ruby! | |
| Thu 10/05 | SS | Routing: BGP [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
4.3 | |
| Tue 10/10 | SS | DNS [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
9.1 | |
| Wed 10/11 | vyass | Midterm exam review and QA |
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| Thu 10/12 | DGA | IPv6, tunneling, NAT, VPN, etc. [pdf] [ps] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project 1 due | 3.3-3.5 |
| Tue 10/17 | DGA/SS | MIDTERM EXAM |
||
| Wed 10/18 | No recitation |
(we're grading midterms and you're tired!) | ||
| Thu 10/19 | DGA | Virtual circuits, ATM, MPLS [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
4.4-4.6 | |
| Tue 10/24 | SS | Transport Intro [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
HW2 Clack Lab Due Animations for the next few lectures |
5.1-5.5 |
| Wed 10/25 | gnychis | Project 1 Post-Mortem |
Bring out your dead! | |
| Thu 10/26 | SS | TCP & Congestion Control [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Proj 2 Assigned | 5.2 |
| Tue 10/31 | SS | More TCP & Congestion Control [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
6.1-6.3 | |
| Wed 11/01 | danwent | Project 2 Overview and Q & A |
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| Thu 11/02 | DGA | Web + CDNs + Caching [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] [Video 2] |
9.4 | |
| Tue 11/07 | SS | TCP Performance [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
6.4 | |
| Wed 11/08 | danwent | Congestion Control & Project 2 |
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| Thu 11/09 | DGA | P2P [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
9.4 | |
| Tue 11/14 | DGA | Router queueing and QoS [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project2 Checkpoint2 Due | 6.5, 7.2, 9.3 |
| Wed 11/15 | vyass | P2P Research and Advanced Topics [pdf] [ppt] |
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| Thu 11/16 | DGA | QoS & Mobile (IP & TCP) [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
2.8, 4.2.5 | |
| Tue 11/21 | danwent | Security - Security Intro, Cryptography, and SSL [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project2 Checkpoint3 Due | 8.1-8.2 |
| Wed 11/22 | Thanksgiving Holiday |
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| Thu 11/23 | Thanksgiving Holiday |
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| Tue 11/28 | vyass | Security - firewalls, DoS, etc. [pdf] [ppt] [Video 1] |
Project2 Checkpoint4 Due | 8.3-8.5 |
| Wed 11/29 | gnychis | bittorrent optimizations for project 2 contest |
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| Thu 11/30 | DGA | Wireless neworks, ad-hoc wireless, and sensor networks [ppt] [Video 1] |
2.8 | |
| Tue 12/05 | DGA/SS | Networking Futures [Video 1] [Video 2] |
Proj 2 due | |
| Wed 12/06 | None | No recitation |
(get some sleep after project2!) | |
| Thu 12/07 | DGA | Class Review [Video 1] |
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| Tue 12/12 | SS | Final Review |
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| Fri 12/15 | DGA/SS | FINAL EXAM. 5:30 - 8:30pm on Friday. In DH 2302 |
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