Exam-I Preparation Material

And

Guidelines

1. Exam Topics

a. Computer Network Fundamentals

i. Network topologies

ii. WANs, Shared media access networks, etc

b. Data Communication Models

i. Point-to-point

ii. Multipoint to multipoint

c. Network Architectures and Protocols Design Issues

i. Layering

ii. Encapsulation

iii. Multiplexing, …

iv. End-to-End argument

d. Switching Techniques

i. Circuit Switching

ii. Message Switching

iii. Packet Switching

iv. Connectionless and Connection-oriented

v. Virtual Circuits

vi. Analysis of these techniques in terms of delay and overhead

e. Network Delays

i. Transmission delay

ii. Propagation delay

iii. Queueing delay

2. Relevant Material

a. Lecture Notes (Transport Protocols Design Issues NOT INCLUDED)

b. Chapter 1, 2 and 3 in Kurose's Book

c. End-to-End Argument Paper.

3. Problem Solving

a. You should be able to work out questions similar to the ones asked in the homework assignments.

b. You should be able to answer basic questions about the socket API.

i. Difference betwenn UNIX and Internet based Sockets

ii. Types of Sockets

iii. Basic understanding of main socket functions:

1. socket(), bind(), gethostbyname(), connect(), listen(), accept(), ...

2. Address families and socket types,

3. Types of servers in a client/server model

4. Relevant Material

a. Homework assignment solutions

b. Unix programming material

c. Web page related material

d. Programming examples