MIS 44042 Spring 2010 Bakes

M&IS 44042-001

NETWORK THEORY & APPLICATIONS

SPRING 2010

TR 2:15-3:30 PM

217 BSA

INSTRUCTOR:              Dr. Catherine M. Bakes

OFFICE:                       A-405 BSA

OFFICE HOURS:           M 2:00-4:30 pm, TR 3:45-5:00 pm, and by appointment

OFFICE PHONE:           (330) 672‑1162                          

E-MAIL:                        cbakes@kent.edu

TEXT:                           Data Communications and Computer Networks: A Business User's Approach, Fifth Edition, Curt White, Thomson Course Technology, 2009

                                    (ISBN 13: 978-1-4239-0303-1)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts underlying local and wide area networks and an understanding of the relevant terminology. It includes an overview of transmission media, data communications protocols, and network configurations, a description of modulation, error control, multiplexing, and switching techniques, and a discussion of current network technologies, services, standards, and regulations. In addition, students are to complete a team project focusing on some topic from the networking field.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

·         To understand network concepts, technology, and terminology.

·         To have the knowledge to participate in, and contribute to, discussions about networks with co-workers, consultants, and vendors.

·         To have the ability to evaluate existing network technologies.

·         To have the skills needed to analyze future network technologies and assess their usefulness in meeting current and future business needs.

·         To have an awareness of the implications of network standards and regulations.

·         To have the communication skills needed to write clearly and give effective presentations.

·         To develop strong analytical and problem solving skills.

·         To have the ability to work effectively in project teams, as a participant, presenter, and leader.

GRADING POLICY

On their respective due dates, course assignments requiring hard copy submission are to be turned in during class and those requiring electronic submission are to be completed before midnight. No assignment will be accepted for credit after its deadline.

If you have questions concerning a grade you receive on any course assignment, it is your responsibility to inform me within 1 week of the graded assignment being returned in class. Grades will not be discussed after that time.

After rounding your numeric score to the nearest integer, your course letter grade will be assigned according to the scale:  A = 90-103; B = 80‑89; C = 70‑79; D = 60‑69; and F = 0‑59. 

IMPORTANT DATES

⁺ The guest lecture (GL) dates and GL form due dates are subject to change and will be announced in class once they have been confirmed. Each GL form will be due at the beginning of class on its due date.

COURSE WEB SITE

Access to the course website is through Vista, the University’s course management system. You can log on to Vista by going to http://vista8.kent.edu and entering your username and password.

CLASS EXERCISES

There will be at least 7 unannounced class exercises during the semester of which your best 6 will count towards your grade. Most exercises will deal with class material, and some might be surveys. Each class exercise is due in class on the day it is assigned.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

Each homework assignment will emphasize material from the corresponding course module and consist of 10 objective questions. It will be available on Vista and graded online.

QUIZZES

The quizzes will emphasize the material discussed in class and consist of objective questions. Each quiz will be approximately 15 minutes long and given at the end of a class period.

A makeup quiz (which may be different from the original) will only be given if you have a legitimate excuse (i.e., sickness, athletic event, religious observation, military responsibility, or death in immediate family), obtain my permission prior to the scheduled quiz time, and provide written documentation. Otherwise you will receive a zero for a missed quiz.

While taking a quiz, you may refer to one 1-sided 8 ½ x 11” page of notes which you are to show me when you turn in your quiz.  I strongly recommend being very selective in deciding what to include on the page. This should help you to prepare better for the quiz and save you time while taking the quiz. Except for your page of notes, each quiz will be closed book and closed notes.

GUEST LECTURE FORMS

You are required to attend both guest lectures and to submit a guest lecture form (available on Vista) for each. Carefully follow all the instructions provided on the form and submit a hard copy.  

NETWORK TOOLS EXERCISE

A network tools exercise will be announced in class towards the end of the semester.

TEAM PROJECT

Each team of 3 or 4 students is to complete a project on a network related topic. I will assign you to a team, and then the team will have the option of selecting its topic (which must be relevant to the course and add new information beyond the material I cover) or having me assign one for you. If you choose the former option, you must obtain my approval by the project topic due date. You may do this during office hours or by e-mail. If you do not obtain my approval of a topic by the due date, I will assign one for you.

For ideas on possible project areas, I suggest that you browse through the text, explore the Internet, visit a library, and/or consult the following list:

Computer telephony integration/Unified communications

Data, audio, and video compression

Directory services and protocols (AD, LDAP)

Domain name system

Fiber optic networks (PONs, SONET, WDM)

Messaging and collaboration tools

Network protocols (TCP/IP, IPv6, MPLS)

Network security

Peer-to-peer file sharing/BitTorrent

Regulation and deregulation (AT&T divestiture, telecom legislation, net neutrality)

Radio-frequency identification  

Routing algorithms and protocols

Video communications (IPTV, videoconferencing)

Virtual private networks  

Virtualization

Voice over IP

Wireless communications (IEEE 802.11 WLANs, Bluetooth, WiMax, cellular)

Wireless sensor networks

Note that your team’s topic does not have to be on this list, nor is it guaranteed that I will approve a topic that is on the list.

PROJECT OUTLINE

Each team is to submit in hard copy format a project outline. It should be at least 1 page long and provide a detailed outline of the topics and subtopics to be addressed in your project. Use size 12 Times New Roman font and 1.5 line spacing.

PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The executive summary should be 1 to 2 pages long and give a clear, complete, and concise summary of the project.  It should have a cover page which provides (1) the project title, (2) team number, (3) team members’ names, and (4) date. You should also attach an appendix with illustrative figures and tables.

The summary should address each of the following areas as they relate to your topic: (1) background and options; (2) business applications and implications; (3) strengths and limitations versus alternatives; and (4) future trends. Use size 12 Times New Roman font, 1.25 inch margins (for all 4 margins), 1.5 line spacing, left justification (only) and, instead of separating paragraphs with blank lines, start each paragraph with a tab character.

While there may be individual grade adjustments based on feedback from the peer evaluation forms, the executive summary will be graded initially according to how well you satisfy the above requirements as well as professionalism, breadth, depth, and effort.

PROJECT PRESENTATION

Each team (including every member) is to present their project in class at the end of the semester. You are strongly encouraged to (1) use PowerPoint, (2) not read the information you present, (3) begin the presentation by introducing your team and topic and providing an outline of the subtopics to be addressed, (4) include a hands-on demonstration if appropriate, (5) conclude the presentation with a summary of the key findings, and (6) rehearse your presentation to ensure that it fits the allotted time (this will be based on the class size and announced in class approx. 2 weeks before the presentations begin). You may assume that a computer and projector will be provided, although I strongly recommend that you have a backup plan in case of equipment failures. If you wish to use additional equipment, you should notify me at least one week in advance and schedule a time to test the equipment in the classroom.

While there may be individual grade adjustments based on feedback from the peer evaluation forms, the presentation will be graded initially according to the following criteria: breadth; depth; professionalism; pace/diction; eye contact; visual aids, effort; teamwork/time management; enthusiasm/innovation; and clarity/organization.

PROJECT PRESENTATION FORMS

You are required to attend all the project presentations at the end of the semester and to submit project presentation forms (available on Vista) for 6 presentations (other than your own!), with at least 1 from each of the class meetings in which projects are presented. On each form enter your name, the date, the presenters’ team number, and the topic being presented. Then complete the form during class making sure that you write legibly and carefully follow all the instructions provided.

PEER EVALUATION FORM

All team members are expected to contribute equally to completing a high-quality project. However, each project team will be self-managed and responsible for determining the roles played by its members, and the nature of the contributions may differ across team members. It is up to the team to make these decisions appropriately, and all team members should ensure that their contributions are on track and sufficient. 

The team project grades will be assigned initially using the grading schemes outlined above. However, I reserve the right to make adjustments to individual grades based on information you are to provide on a peer evaluation form. You are to use this form (available on Vista) to award points that indicate the value of the project contributions of each member of your team and to provide written comments justifying the points you award. Carefully follow all the instructions provided on the form and submit a hard copy.  Failure to complete and submit a peer evaluation form by the specified deadline is likely to result in a negative adjustment to your own project grades.

EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS

There will be 6 optional extra credit assignments, each of which requires posting 4 true/false questions to Vista, and each valid question will be worth 0.125 points. For a question to be considered valid, it must be clear, unambiguous, your own original work, and appropriate for testing concepts covered in the corresponding course module, and the correct answer must be included.

ATTENDANCE AND CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

Attendance is not mandatory but is highly recommended if you wish to do well in the course. You are responsible for all material presented in class and should not expect any special consideration if you miss material due to being absent. To receive credit for a class exercise, you must be in class on the day the exercise is assigned.

You are expected to be respectful of our guest speakers, other students, and the instructor at all times during the semester. Come to class on time and stay until the class has ended. Unless you have a legitimate reason for doing so, do not come to class late or leave early. It is not fair to cause a disruption by the noise and disturbance of a late arrival or early departure. Any time you have questions ask them, in class (raise your hand and, if someone else is speaking, wait until they have finished), during office hours, or via e-mail. This is likely to benefit other students as well as you. Similarly, any time you have relevant comments, please share them. Use of cell phones or pagers is not permitted during class. They must be turned off before class begins and not turned back on until after class ends. Improper classroom behavior will not be tolerated and is grounds for dismissal from the course, resulting in a grade of F.

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Prerequisites: Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.

Academic Honesty:  Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit.   In addition, it is considered to be cheating when one cooperates with someone else in any such misrepresentation.  The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course.  Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University.

Course withdrawal: For Spring 2010, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, April 4.

Students with disabilities:  University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures).

Course registration: Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Student Tools on FlashLine) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until Sunday, January 31, 2010 to correct the error.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

MISA

The Management Information Systems Association (MISA) is the student organization for CIS majors or any other students interested in the role of information systems in today's business environment.  Representatives from area businesses, recent IT retirees, and local technology "experts" give presentations at MISA meetings which are held on Tuesdays at 5:05-6:05 pm in room 213 BSA. MISA also hosts networking socials with experienced professionals as well as tours of local corporate data centers. MISA members enjoy preferred scholarships, certification exam reimbursements, networking opportunities, guidance in CIS classes, and a great way to land an internship or job.  To learn more visit http://#.

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

1/19 to 2/2: Module 1 (Ch. 1-2 & pgs 123-124, 147-148, & 364-372)

Introduction to course

Analog & digital data & signals

Digital coding schemes (NRZ-L, NRZI, Manchester, differential Manchester, bipolar-AMI, 4B/5B)

Modulation schemes (AM, FM, PM, QAM, PCM, & delta modulation)

Internet access alternatives (56k modem, ISDN, cable modem, DSL)

2/4 to 2/16: Module 2 (Ch. 3 & pgs 360-364, 373, & 383-386)

Transmission media (twisted-pair, coaxial cable, optical fiber, microwave, satellite)

Telephone system, PBXs & Centrex

Wireless communications (cellular, IR, WiMax, Bluetooth, WLANs)

2/18 to 3/2: Module 3 (Ch. 5 & pgs 130-132, 284-297, 305-308, 373-383, & 386-389)

Multipoint lines & polling  

Multiplexing (FDM, DMT, TDM, T carrier system, ISDN, SONET/SDH, STDM, WDM)

Inverse multiplexing

Circuit & packet (datagram, virtual circuit) switching

Frame relay & ATM (congestion, QoS)

3/4 to 3/18: Module 4 (Ch. 6 & pgs 42-44, 70-74, 121, & 126-129)

HDX, FDX, & simplex transmission

Asynchronous, synchronous, & isochronous transmission

Noise (white noise, impulse noise, crosstalk, echoes, attenuation, dBs)

Error prevention & detection (parity, checksum, CRC)

Error correction & flow control (stop-and-wait, sliding window)

3/23 to 4/13: Module 5 (Ch. 7 & pgs 155-157, 417-419, & 424)

LAN topologies and access methods (bus, tree, star, ring, CSMA/CD, token-passing)

Ethernet LANs (IEEE 802.3 frame format, shared & switched, VLANs, standards)

Internetworking devices (repeaters, switches, routers)

Wireless LANs (IEEE 802.11)

4/15 to 4/29: Module 6 (Ch. 10 & pgs 15-27, 233, 295-297, 304-305, & 455-456)

OSI & Internet reference models

Internet protocols & services (IP, TCP, ICMP, UDP, MPLS, ARP, DHCP, NAT, VPNs, HTTP, DNS, E-mail, FTP, telnet, VoIP, RTP, RTSP, SNMP, OSPF)

IP addressing, IPv6, and Internet2

5/4 to 5/12: Project presentations

NOTE:  I will make every effort to follow the schedule outlined above and to cover the topics in the order listed. However, depending on the pace of the class, we may cover some topics earlier or later than scheduled.