CS 3251 - Computer Networks I

Spring 2007

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Online Help Session is Wednesday, May 2 from 9 to 10 PM. Go to the CS3251 class area of buzzport. I recommend that you first go to the buzzport preferences and increase your inactivity timeout setting to 60 minutes. You'll have to log out and back in for this to take effect.

Description

This course provides an introduction to problems in computer networking, including errors, medium access, routing, flow control and transport. Emphasis is on current best practice, and specifically on solutions deployed in the current Internet. Includes programming of networked applications.

Instructor

Teaching Assistant and Office Hours

All TA office hours will be held in the CoC commons area. TA's are available to answer your questions regarding class material and assignments.

Newsgroup

news:git.cc.class.cs3251

The newsgroup will be used to answer clarification questions about homework assignments, answer common questions on programming, post class announcements, make corrections to assignments (if needed), etc. You should read the newsgroup regularly, especially when we get into sockets programming.

Assignments

We will be doing four to five written assignments and two network programming assignments in this course. The programs will be written in C, using Sockets, on a Unix system. Students often ask about doing their programs on some other platform. In order to simplify life for the TAs, your programs will be graded on Solaris or Linux systems. If you develop them elsewhere, be sure to test them well on Solaris or Linux. We will give you specific reference machines for testing.

You should strive to turn your assignments in on time. The late homework policy uses a time-credit system. You are allowed up to 3 "late days" over the course of the semester. You may use them whenever you like. For instance, you may use them all on a single assignment or spread them out over 3 assignments. However, once you have used your alloted days, additional late assignments will not be accepted. Also, note that you cannot use less than a day. If an assignment is 1 hour late it will be considered a full day.

Here is the planned homework schedule. Check back frequently for links to the assignments and updates.

Exams

Exam dates will not change. Make sure you can be here for these dates.

Resources

Textbooks

Other Sockets Information

Other Resources

Watch this space for other supplements!

Grading and Academic Honesty

Your grade will be determined by your performance on programming assignments and exams. The weights are as follows:

Written Assignments - 25%
Programming Assignments - 25%
Midterm Exam - 20%
Final Exam - 30%
Students are expected to abide by the Georgia Tech Honor Code. Honest and ethical behavior is expected at all times. All incidents of suspected dishonesty will be reported to and handled by the office of student affairs.

You are to do all assignments yourself, unless explicitly told otherwise. You may not copy any solution (or part of a solution) from a classmate or previous student of this class.

Specifically, the following is not allowed:

You are encouraged to discuss problems and papers with others as long as this does not involve copying of code or solutions. Any public material that you use (open-source software, help from a text, material you find on the web, material from a paper, substantial help from a friend, etc...) should be acknowledged explicitly in anything you submit to us.

Course Outline (updated weekly, dates subject to change)

KR = Kurose and Ross; DC = Donahoo and Calvert
Russell J. Clark
Created: Jan 8, 2007