The course introduces concepts related to computer networks, and the way to apply them to implement data networks, as LAN and WAN. At the end of the course students will be able to analyze and design the most common types of computer and digital devices networks, facing to theoretical and practical concepts that unify different telecommunications networks.

01. Introduction:
  01.01 Aims of computer networks and their classification.
  01.02 OSI and TCP / IP reference models.
  01.03 Examples of networks and standardization of networks.
 
02. Physical level:
  02.01 Theoretical basis of communication and physical transmission of data.
  02.02 Guided transmission media.
  02.03 Wireless transmission media.
 
03. Access technologies:
  03.01 Internet trending.
  03.02 Local loop and old technologies.
  03.03 xDSL.
  03.04 Fiber optic access technology.
  03.05 Fixed Wireless Access.
 
04. Wireless networks:
  04.01 The mobile telephone system.
  04.02 Evolution of the cellular system - 5G
  04.03 Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11 standard).
  04.04 Bluetooth.
  04.05 Wireless Personal Area Network.
 
05. Network level:
  05.01 Architectural problems of the network layer.
  05.02 IPv4 protocol and addressing.
  05.03 IPv6 protocol and addressing.
  05.04 Network devices
  05.05 Routing algorithms
  05.06 Congestion

06. Internetworking:
  06.01 Point-to-Point Protocols
  06.02 Address Resolution and ARP.
  06.03 ICMP and network control.
  06.04 DHCP.
  06.05 Network Address Translation (NAT).
  06.06 VLAN.
 
07. Transport level:
  07.01 Description of transport services.
  07.02 Elements of transport protocols.
  07.03 Flow control and error management.
  07.04 The connectionless Internet transport protocol: UDP.
  07.05 The connection-oriented Internet transport protocol: TCP.

08. Application level:
  08.01 Email: MIME, SMTP, IMAP, POP3.
  08.02 File transfer: FTP, TFTP.
  08.03 DNS - Domain Name System.
  08.04 World Wide Web and HTTP.
  08.05 Browser APIs and Protocols
  08.06 CDN - Content Delivery Network and Video Streaming

09. Security in networks:
  09.01 Access Control and Authorization.
  09.02 Authentication protocols, integrity protocols and key distribution.
  09.03 Firewall.
  09.04 IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) and IDS (Intrusion Detection System) systems.

10. Laboratory activities:
  10.01 Network utilities (addressing, perimeter probing, traffic monitoring).
  10.02 Simple cases of network management.
  10.03 Socket programming.
  10.04 Implementation of client-server systems.
  10.05 Access to web resources.

Knowledge and understanding:
After completing the course students will acquire the basic concepts of how computer networks work and how they are structured.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
At the end of the course students will have acquired their own analysis and design methodologies of computer networks or their components
Making judgments:
At the end of the course students will be able to apply the methods of analysis and design of computer networks in order to solve problems and deploy digital devices in computer networks
Communication skills:
At the end of the course students will have acquired the ability to express the basic concepts of computer networks with appropriate terms and technical jargon.
Learning ability:
During the course the student will acquire the ability to study and learn the basics of computer and communications networks, through the assimilation of protocols and services.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

In-person lectures and laboratory sessions for practical concepts

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory but highly recommended.

Assessment

• First part: Programming and report concerning networks, agreed with Professor, to be delivered a week before the exam date (Guidelines for the Exam's Report). With this test we want to assess skills and problem solving skills on real and complex topics in the field of networks. The test, if passed, gives access to the second part of exam.
• Second part: Discussion of the project and review questions on the syllabus. It aims to ascertain knowledge of the topics, general and particular, addressed during the course and to evaluate the deduction skills necessary to approach new problems in the context of computer networks

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

• First part: Programming and report concerning networks, agreed with Professor, to be delivered a week before the exam date (Guidelines for the Exam's Report). With this test we want to assess skills and problem solving skills on real and complex topics in the field of networks. The test, if passed, gives access to the second part of exam.
• Second part: Discussion of the project and review questions on the syllabus. It aims to ascertain knowledge of the topics, general and particular, addressed during the course and to evaluate the deduction skills necessary to approach new problems in the context of computer networks

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.