Textbooks

The main resource for this course is the textbook:

Data and Computer Communications, 9th Edition, William Stallings, Prentice Hall, 2011.

The readings for each lecture point to the relevant chapter(s) for that topic.

The textbook has its own online resource page, with links to web sites for each chapter, appendices in PDF, and links to courses at other universities on data communications.

Older editions of the textbook may sometimes be used, as most (not all!) of the chapters we cover have had only small changes between editions. If you are using an older edition, please talk with your friends with the latest edition to check for any differences.

Other textbooks which contain useful material include those by Forouzan (Data Communications and Networking), Kurose (Computer Networking) and Comer (Computer Networks and Internet). Details of these and other textbooks can be found in my Study Guide.

Prerequisites and Background Material

Although there are no formal pre-requisites for this course, it is assumed you have knowledge of important computer science concepts such as:

These are covered in courses such as: MAS 116, MAS 117, MAS 210, ITS 225, and ITS 100. If you cannot remember some of this material, then it is strongly recommended that you revise your knowledge using your lecture notes from these courses.

Practice Quizzes

As a student enrolled in this course, you have automatic/free access to the Networking course on ICT Moodle. The Networking course is not really a "course", but a collection of lecture material, practice lessons and online quizzes taken from various courses I have taught in the past. It does not correspond to any SIIT course.

Some of the material in the Networking course may be similar or the same as covered in ITS323. Therefore you may use the Networking course as practice for ITS323. In particular, you may try the online quizzes in the Networking course. However it is your responsibility to find the relevant material/quizzes, and determine what is (not) covered in ITS323. Completion of quizzes or other activities in the Networking course has no impact on ITS323. For example, if you gain 100% in a quiz in Networking, then it does not act as a replacement for a similar quiz in ITS323.

In summary, treat the Networking course as any other website you may use to learn about computer networking - it has no connection to the grade you will earn in ITS323.

Study and Research Resources

For each Topic, a set of links and additional readings are given. In addition, the Study Guide provides general resources on studying and computer networking.

Past Courses

An archive of material from this course held in the past years is available. However before using this material, please be aware that there may be a difference between the course this semester and that in the past years.