Comp 343-001/443-001, Computer Networks, Fall 2008

Peter Dordal, Loyola University Chicago Dept of Computer Science.

The class meets Wednesdays 4:15-6:45 in 25EP-602.

The text is the fourth edition of Peterson & Davie's Computer Networks, A Systems Approach. (The third edition is still ok)

My general course groundrules are here. Exams will count for between 70% to 80% of your grade, with homework and programs making up the rest.

The midterm is set for October 15 (week 8). The final is Wednesday, December 10, at our usual time and place. Note that that's a "study day" up until 4:15, but not after.


Spring 2025:
I am generally in my office on Mondays from 10:00 to noon, and from 1:45 to 3:45.
Sometimes I have meetings or come in late, so check first.
I am also available other times via Zoom, by appointment. Contact me via email for the Zoom meeting ID.

Study guides and materials

A brief overview of networks

Simplex talk: TCP:: client, server, threaded server     UDP: client, server

Map of the Internet, by Randall Munroe

Course evaluation link

Course notes
Week 1: August 27 Week 2: Sept 3 Week 3: Sept 10
Week 4: Sept 17 Week 5: Sept 24 Week 6: Oct 1
Week 7: Oct 8 Week 8: Oct 15 Week 9: Oct 22
Week 10: Oct 29 Week 11: Nov 5 Week 12: Nov 12
Week 13: Nov 19 Thanksgiving Week 14: Dec 3

My Ethernet notes

Midterm Study Guide

Final Exam Study Guide, with answers.

Programming Project

Here is the project to implement the BLAST protocol, client-side. Additional notes added December 8.

fast-recovery diagram

The material divides naturally into three "tracks" that we will alternate between, at will. Here are the tracks: This looks like the traditional four-layer model (LAN/IP/transit/application), but we're not really abiding by any strict layering. Here is further information about what will be covered in each track:

LAN basics

1.1 basics
1.2 layering
1.3 sockets programming intro
2.1 links basics
2.5 reliable transmission (moved up to accomodate TCP)
3.1 switching and forwarding (moved up to accomodate IP)
2.2 encoding
2.3 framing
2.4 error detection
2.6 Ethernet
3.2 bridged Ethernet
3.3 ATM

IP and routing

4.1 IP basics
4.2 Distance-Vector and Link-State Routing
4.3 Subnets, supernets, BGP, and IPv6; backbone structure; AADS v MAE EAST.

TCP and congestion

5.1 UDP
5.2 TCP
5.3 Remote Procedure Call (blast/chan v Sun) (not done)
6.1 Congestion issues
6.2 Queuing models
6.3 TCP congestion management: Reno and Tahoe
6.4 DECbit, RED, and TCP Vegas
6.5 Reservation-based approaches to congestion (not done)


Class-by-class summary: see the nnotes file, "my course notes", above

The following classic paper has useful information about TCP/IP security: Security Problems in the TCP/IP Protocol Suite by Steve Bellovin.