UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

(All rights reserved)

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
FIRST SEMESTER 2023/2024 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE SYLLABUS
CSCD607: ADVANCED COMPUTER NETWORKS (3 CREDITS)

Lecturer: Jamal-Deen Abdulai (PhD)

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: XXXXXX
Office Location: C24 – Dept. of Chemistry
Office Hours Tuesday 8:30am-10:00am & Wednesday 8:30am-10:00am
Period: Oct. – Dec. 2023

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the science underpinning computer communications, such as the
basic architectural principles of computer networking and specifically how the Internet
works today. Covered topics include network software and hardware, reference models
and network layers, data representation, how errors in transmission can be detected
and dealt with, the way information is routed over a large network, how congestion can
be avoided, aspects of network security, and socket programming. The course also
examines current state of the art research-related topics in the fields of computer
networks, distributed systems, and the Internet. It is intended for students planning to
carry out a thesis project in any of these areas or anyone interested in the contemporary
research problems of this field.
Objectives
The course aims to help students develop an understanding of the underlying
architecture and transmission protocols of networks and how they operate. It is also
aimed at widening and deepening the skills and knowledge of graduates in advanced
areas of data communication and computer networks.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students should be able to

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 design, set up and configure a secure and reliable enterprise network including
setting up domain name translation services, switching and routing, network
segmentation monitoring and managing network devices and debugging network
setup.
 demonstrate advanced knowledge of computer networking
 demonstrate the ability to understand and evaluate research papers, and describe
research problems in areas such as content centric networking, cross-layer network
protocol design and network performance measurement.
 to gain significant hands-on interaction with manageable network equipment.
 demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to design and support complex
enterprise networks

Broad Topics
 Layered architectures; the protocol concepts;
 Physical Layer and Media and Protocols
 Data Link Layer Error Detection and Correction
 LAN Design Architecturs and Protocols
 Network Layer Logical Address
 Packet Routing and WAN Connection Technologies and Protocols
 Transport Layer Process-to-Process Delivery: UDP, TCP, SCTP, Congestion Control and
Quality of Service
 Application Layer and Network Security Protocols
 Enterprise Network Design and Management
 Network Modeling and Performance Measurements
 Network Programming

Cognitive and Subject Specific Skills

 Design and configure simple LAN and complex Enterprise computer networks using physical
hardware and their emulated representations in specialist network configuration and testing
software applications such as CISCO Packet Tracer, GNS3 etc.
 Evaluate the performance of computer network systems using specialist software
applications such as Matlab, NS3 and NS2
 Explain the differences between the various communication protocols
 derive mathematical expressions to characterise wireless system parameters
 design and develop a range of software applications for use in computer networks

Transferable Skills
 write a technical report

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 Work with peers to perform complex tasks
 Make oral presentation to group of people on a technical subject
 Analyse complex systems
 Time management

Course Delivery Plan

 The course will be delivered through lectures and laboratory work to support group projects.
The laboratory work will take Two hours, and will begin from the third lecture to the end of
the course.
 Weekly seminars will be used to extend the students' theoretical knowledge through
discussions and review of recent technical papers.
 Weekly supervised laboratory sessions will introduce students to the use of computer
simulation in wireless system design and analysis.

Lecture Plan
The following plan gives details of the broad topics that will be covered with appropriate
references where applicable. Detailed notes will be given in the lectures.

Week Broad Topics Activity Instruct Lecture Lab/

or (Hours) Tutorials/
Course
Work(Hour
s)
Week 1 Layered architectures; Internet JD 2 2
the protocol concepts the OSI Model
tcp/ip protocol suite
Addressing
Transmission Basics
Week 2 Data Link Layer Error Types of Transmission Errors JD 2 2
Detection and Redundancy
Correction Detection Versus Correction
Block Coding
Linear Block Codes
Cyclic Codes
Checksum

Week 3 Data Link Control Framing JD 2 2

Flow And Error Control
Noisy & Noiseless Channels
HDLC
Point-To-Point Protocol
Week 4 Multiple Access and Random Access JD 2 2
LAN Design Controlled Access
Architectures and Channelization
Protocols

Week 5 IEEE Standards for Physical and JD 2 2

Data Link

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 Standard Ethernet for Mac
Sublayer and Physical Layer
Changes in the LAN Standard
Week 6 Connecting LANs, Backbone JD 2 2
Networks,
and Virtual LANs
Week 7 Network Layer and Ipv4 and IP6 Addressing JD
Packet Routing Internet Protocol
Address Mapping
Week 8 Delivery, Forwarding, and JD 2 2
Routing (Belman ford and
Dijkstra Algorithms), Distance
Vector and Link state Routing)
Week 9 Theory and Implementation of JD 2 2
Routing Protocols: RIP, EIGRP,
OSPF, BGP
Week Transport Layer Process-To-Process Delivery JD 2 2
10 Process-to-Process User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
Delivery: UDP, TCP, TCP & STCP
Congestion And Its Control
SCTP, Congestion
Quality Of Service
Control and Quality of Integrated And Differentiated
Service Services

Week Network Security Security in the LAN & Internet: JD 2 2

11 ACL, IPSec, SSUFLS, PGP,
VPN, and Firewalls
Week Networking Socket Definition, JD 2 2
12 Programming UDP Client and Server
Programming,
TCP Client and Server
Programming.
HTTP Communication with WEB
Services
SMTP and POP3
Communication with Email
Servers

Key Reading List

Forouzan, B. A. (2007) Data Communications and Networking, (5th Ed) McGrawHill, New York.
Andrew S. Tanenbaum and David J. Wetherall, Computer Networks, 5/E, ISBN-10: 0132126958
• ISBN-13: 9780132126953, ©2011 • Prentice Hall • Cloth, 960 pp
Tamara Dean, Network+ Guide to Networks, 6th Edition, © 2013 Course Technology- Cengage
Learning.
Other Text:
Comer, D. E. (2008). Computer networks and internets (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J. :
Prentice Hall, ISBN-10: 0136066984
Derfler, F.J., & Freed, L. (2004). How networks work (7th ed.). Indianapolis, IN : Que, ISBN-
10: 0789732327
Kurose, J.F., & Ross, K.W. (2012). Computer networking: A top-down approach (5th ed.). Boston
: Pearson Education, ISBN-10: 0136079679

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Paterson,L.L., & Davie, B. S. (2011). Computer networks: A system approach. San Diego :
Morgan Kaufmann, ISBN-10: 0123850592.
Stallings, W. (2010). Data and computer communication (9th Ed.), Englewood Cliffs, N.J. :
Prentice Hall, SBN-10: 0131392050
Tanenbaum, A.S., & Wetherall, D.J. (2010). Computer networks (5th ed.). Boston : Prentice
Hall, ISBN-10: 0132126958

Software Applications:
NS3, NS2 and OPNET Network Simulator, Cisco Packet Tracer and Wireshark.

Course Delivery:
Three hours Lectures and one-hour Computer laboratory sessions per week.
Plagiarism policy
Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable and shall be treated as a serious offence. Appropriate sanctions, as stipulated in the
Plagiarism Policy, will be applied when students are found to have violated the Plagiarism policy. The policy is available at
http://www.ug.edu.gh/aqau/policies-guidelines. ALL students are expected to familiarize themselves with the contents of the
Policy.

Class Power Point Slides: To obtain a copy of the class power point slides, consult your
instructor.
Course Work A: Organisation of Seminars
Students in a seminar group will be organised into groups of maximum of five. Each group must
elect a leader who will be responsible for the smooth running of the group. Each week a
member of the group will make a presentation on the given topic. Each individual member of the
group will only be required to make one presentation during the semester. The person
presenting must produce a report. The report must outline the tasks assigned to each member
of the group the contribution of each member in percentage, how much of the contribution was
used in the presentation, a summary of the main findings and list of references. There is NO
NEED to submit the presentation slides. All members of the group must sign the report.
Unsigned reports will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the group leader to report any
problems to the Lecturer.

Assessment of presentation
1. Group contributions 50% this mark will be awarded by the presenter to members of the
group depending on their contribution. Presenters must exercise fairness and firmness when
awarding these marks. These marks are subject to acceptance by Lecturer upon review of
the report.
2. Individual presentation skills 20% this mark is awarded by the rest of the class to the
individual presenting. These marks must be within 10% of Lecturer’s mark else it will be
discarded. Marks within 10% of the Lecturer’s mark will be averaged to form the final mark.
3. Signed group report 20% this mark will be awarded by the Lecturer.
4. Your final mark will be a weighted average of the marks obtained over the entire semester.

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Guidelines for successful presentation
 Students to meet after week 1 seminar to decide on the topic each group member will
present.
 Each member to carry out research and break down his/her topic into (five) tasks to assign
each group member including his/herself.
 Group members must provide designated presenter with the required information in good
time to be used for the presentation
 The presenter in agreement with the group leader must award each member a mark out of
100% depending on how the members contribution
 The presenter writes a 2 page report giving the names of the members of the group and
their assigned tasks
 The report must be submitted before the presentation in order to achieve the maximum 10%
marks. Reports submitted after the presentation will only achieve a maximum mark of 4%
 Individual group members who do not contribute to their group’s presentation will be
penalised and given a mark of zero for that presentation.
 The whole group will be penalised if they fail to meet the deadline to deliver their work.

NO EXCUSES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

 The report must be signed by each group member. Unsigned reports will not be accepted
 Every group in the audience will be EXPECTED to ask at least one question
 The presentation must last for 10 minutes.

Coursework B: Network Simulation and Performance Measurements

This is a programming assignment in which a group of 2 to 3 students are required to write
simulation software to simulate a network protocol and measure its performance. You will need
to study the particular topic in depth by surveying the literature proposing your approach to the
problem.
In general, the report you submit at the end of any assignment may serve a number of purposes
including but not limited to one or more of the following:
 As a record of the work undertaken
 As an assessment document
 As evidence of your ability to undertake systematic review and document a complex task
 As a valuable piece of evidence to a prospective employer of your capabilities

Steps in completing this assignment

You first must decide on one of the topic areas or suggest a topic of your own related to the
subject area. You must confirm your topic choice with the Lecturer at least Week 4 of the
semester.
.

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Basic Steps of Project
In carrying out this assignment, you first need to be able to identify a specific problem under the
chosen topic so as to enable you to write down the statement of problem and the scope of the
solution in the introduction part of your final report.
Secondly, you should learn the existing approaches to solving that problem by doing the
literature search. Thirdly, by brainstorming on the possible new approaches to that problem, you
should come up with a new or modified approach that may be better than the existing
approaches. Finally, write down your final report and, if required, give a presentation on your
project.

Development and construction of the report

1. Start planning your report early
2. ask yourself key questions:
a. what are my aims and objectives
b. how can these be achieved
c. what work has been done previously in these area
d. what methods were used
e. what are the strengths and short comings of these other approaches
3. expect to generate several drafts and get feedback from supervisor
4. Keep a reliable backup
5. Keep records/notes of what you do, results obtained etc
6. Develop a plan for your report, a skeleton structure right at the very beginning and
agree this with your supervisor
7. Construct each chapter with a logical ordering

Final Report
Design and plan the structure and content of your report fairly early on. Typical section and
chapter headings are as follows:
1. Title page- Report title, author, department/school, date
2. Abstract- concise description or work and its conclusion
3. contents
4. List of figures
5. Glossary- list of specialist terminology
6. Acknowledgements
7. Introduction- general background, specific background, aims and objectives,
alternative approaches, structure of report
8. Background/review – previous work/reports, literature survey
9. Design
10. Implementation
11. Testing
12. Results/Analysis – analyse your data, draw conclusions
13. Discussion – discuss the significance of your findings/results
14. Conclusion and future work – summarise what you have achieved, how original aims
were met, which ones weren’t etc, limitations of the work – be critical of your work.
Identify how a follow-on project might proceed.

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 15. Appendices- any superfluous material that might interrupt the flow of the project.
16. References

The final report must be submitted to my office at 5 PM on the last day of Week 13. The length
of this report should be about 10-15 double-spaced typing pages. The final report will be
evaluated based on the following five grading criteria. (These five grading criteria, along with its
weights, should be typed in the front cover of the report in the same way shown below). The
final report should be in the paper format.

Grading Criteria of Final Report

Introduction and Problem Statement: 10%
Understanding of the literature of domain knowledge: 30%
Proposing Solutions supported by Simulations/Experiments/Work-in-Programs: 30%
Conclusions: 10%
Organisation/Written Presentation of Report: 20%

Deadline for Submission

This assignment must be submitted to my Office at 5 PM on the last day of Week 13

Quizzes, Class Assignments Mid-Semester Exam: Individual and in-class group

assignments will be given periodically given to students. Unannounced quizzes may be given
during the semester. They will be counted as part of the exam grade. No make-up quizzes will
be given for those who miss classes. This will make 20% of the total score. A mid semester
exams shall be organised between the 6-8th weeks. This will make 20% of the total score.

Exams: Materials included in the exams will be taken from the text, class lecture and
discussions. Exams will be administered on the dates scheduled by the institute. The tests will
be multiple choice, fill-in, short answers and java application software application design. The
exams will comprise 60% of the total score.
Grading Factors:

Main Exams 60%

Mid Semester Exams 10%

Quiz/Assignments 30%

Total 100%

POLICIES:

Testing: Class Tests/Assignments are expected to be taken at the times scheduled, and make
up work will be permitted only for the following reasons:

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 1) Death of an immediate family member.
2) Personal illness requiring attention by physician.
3) Illness of an immediate family requiring your personal attention.
4) Unplanned holidays/ interruption by other college activities.
5) Travel out-of-town required by your employer (with proof).
6) An emergency and/or situation at the discretion of the instructor.

Attendance: Regular class attendance is expected. If a student misses class, the student is
responsible for obtaining class notes from other students.