EEL 4598 Data and Computer Communications

  1. Catalog Description – (3 credits) Introduction to the principles and practice of computer networking, emphasizing data communication and the lower layers of the OSI and TCP/IP protocol architectures.
  1. Pre-requisites – EEL 3834 (or COP 2271 or equivalent) and junior or senior standing.
  1. Course Objectives - Students will gain fundamental knowledge and understanding of the basic principles and practice of computer networking, emphasizing data and computer communication within the framework of the lower layers of the OSI and TCP/IP protocol architectures, through class lectures, reading assignments, exercises, and a project.
  1. Contribution of course to meeting the professional component (ABET only – undergraduate courses) - 3 credits of Engineering Science
  1. Relationship of course to program outcomes: Skills student will develop in this course (ABET only undergraduate courses) - EE2, a, e, k
  1. Instructor – Dr. Janise McNair
  2. Office location: 457 NEB
  3. Telephone: 392-2629
  4. E-mail address:
  5. Class Web site: http://lss.at.ufl.edu/
  6. Office hours: TBD
  7. Teaching Assistant - TBD
  8. Office location:
  9. Telephone:
  10. E-mail address:
  11. Office hours:
  12. Meeting Times – Tuesday, 2nd-3rd period (9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.), Thursday 3rd period (11:00-12:15 p.m.). Additional lecture time may need to be scheduled occasionally. Specific times will be announced when needed.
  1. Class/laboratory schedule - 3 class periods per week consisting of 50 minutes each
  1. Meeting Location – CSE E107
  1. Material and Supply Fees - $3.00
  1. Textbooks and Software Required -
  2. Title: Data and Computer Communications
  3. Author: William Stallings
  4. Publication date and edition: 2010, 9th Edition
  5. ISBN number: 9780131392052
  6. Computer Requirements: have access to ECE computer lab on campus or remotely, have network software (eg. Matlab, ns-2 or ns-3)
  7. Recommended Reading -

a.  Our textbook's author (Dr. Stallings) provides many tools and other resources related to our course here.

b.  The Web! The web is a wonderful resource for more info on almost any topic in computer networking. Let your favorite search engine help you explore more deeply the many topics in this course.

c.  B. Forouzan, Data Communications and Networking, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 2007.

d.  Leon-Garcia and I. Widjaja, Communication Networks : Fundamental Concepts and Key Architectures, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2004. This text is available at Marsten.

e.  L. Peterson and B. Davie, Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, 4rd Edition, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc., San Francisco, CA, 2007. This text is available at Marsten.

  1. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, 4th Edition, Prentice-Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2003. This text is available at Marsten.
  1. Course Outline –

$  Overview

$  Protocol architecture

$  Digital data communication techniques

$  Data link control and multiplexing

$  Circuit switching and packet switching

$  Routing in switched networks

$  Local-area networks and systems

$  Internetwork and transport protocols

$  Special topics

  1. Attendance and Expectations: Cell phones and other electronic devices are to be silenced. No text messaging during class or exams. A significant portion of the lectures in this course will be complimentary but not duplicative of the textbook. Therefore, students are strongly advised to attend all lectures and take good notes. Tardiness for lectures is NOT permitted.

Regular participation is expected. Attendance is required for student presentations. It is the student’s responsibility to independently obtain any missed material, including handouts, from lecture.

All assignments are to be an individual effort unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Even the team project will have individual responsibilities that will be indicated in the assignment.

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online catalog at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

Assignments, handouts, announcements, lectures, course schedule and other required information will be posted to the UF e-Learning Support Services website. Participation in and regular access to this website is required for this course. Check this website several times per week for possible homework corrections, lecture changes, or other course announcements.

Electronic homework and project submissions are required, preferably in PDF format but MS Word and Text are accepted. Not being able to access a public computer will not be a valid excuse for late or missing assignments.

EDGE students have an automatic one-week delay in deadlines. Extensions beyond one week require prior approval by the instructor.

  1. Grading –

Assignments / Percentage / Dates
HOMEWORK / 5%
(EDGE 6.25) / Due approximately every 2 to 3 weeks
MIDTERM EXAM 1 / 25%
(EDGE 26.25) / Tues, June 17
In-class exam
MIDTERM EXAM 2 / 25%
(EDGE 26.25) / Tues, July 29
In-class exam
PROJECT
5718 Project - One large semester project:
--Presentation of Topic Overview(15%)
--Proposal/Progress Reports(5%)
--Demo and Final Report (20%) / 40%
(EDGE 41.25) / Final reports and Demos Due Aug 5,7
Other due dates to be announced
4598 Projects
3 small projects (13% each) will be assigned, completed and demo'ed by students during the summer session / Due dates to be announced
IN-CLASS GRADE
(includes class participation, in-class quizzes, disruptive behavior, tardiness, etc.) / 5% / Approx 1-2 per week
  1. Grading Scale – Grades are based on statistical curve. The overall class average and the standard deviation will be used to determine the grading. The class average plus a step size (related to the standard deviation) is A, then one step size down is A-, one step further down is B+, and so on. Hard rule: Overall average >90% is guaranteed an 'A', >80% is guaranteed at least B.

A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D- / E
93-100 / 90-92 / 87-89 / 83-86 / 80-82 / 77-79 / 73-76 / 70-72 / 67-69 / 63-66 / 60-62 / 0-59

“A C- will not be a qualifying grade for critical tracking courses. In order to graduate, students must have an overall GPA and an upper-division GPA of 2.0 or better (C or better).” Note: a C- average is equivalent to a GPA of 1.67, and therefore, it does not satisfy this graduation requirement. For more information on grades and grading policies, please visit: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx

  1. Make-Up Exam Policy - If you have a University-approved excuse and arrange for it in advance, or in case of documented emergency, a make-up exam will be allowed and arrangements can be made for making up missed work. University attendance policies can be found at:

https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

Otherwise, there will be no make-ups for exams, homework, or in-class assignments.

  1. Honesty Policy – UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment. The Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor or TAs in this class.
  1. Accommodation for Students with Disabilities – Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. That office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the course instructor when requesting accommodation.

21.  UF Counseling Services – Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals. The resources include:

·UF Counseling & Wellness Center, psychological and psychiatric services, 3190 Radio Rd, 392-1575, online: http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx,

·Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, career and job search services, 392-1601.

·University Police Department, 392-1111 or 911 for emergencies

  1. Software Use – All faculty, staff and student of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
  1. Course Evaluation – Students are expected to provid feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at: https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at: https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results.